Fatal workplace accidents on the rise
(VOV) - There has been a significant increase in the number of fatal work-based accidents over the last two years, a labour official said at a press conference in Hanoi on February 26.
Though numbers of occupational accidents and injuries dropped by 1.2% in 2013 compared to the previous year, numbers of fatal accidents rose by 1.8% and deaths by a shocking 3.5%, said Ha Tat Thang, Head of the Occupational Safety Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).
Employers and employees are blamed for not fully observing regulations on occupational safety and health (OSH), while equipment and work environments are reportedly unsafe.
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Material losses caused by labour accidents in 2013 were estimated at VND71.85 billion, and property damage at approximately VND6.27 billion.
Ten localities with the highest number of fatal workplace accidents are Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh, Hanoi, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Ha Tinh, Thanh Hoa, Bac Giang, Danang, and Nghe An.
Construction, mineral exploitation, power generation and mechanical engineering top the list of industries having most fatalities.
The press conference was held ahead of the National Week on Occupational Safety- Hygiene and Fire Explosion (NWOSHFEP), to be launched on March 16 at Phu Bai Industrial Zone in Thua Thien-Hue province.