Five accidents tie up highway traffic

Five successive car accidents bring traffic to a standstill for 15 hours on the National Highway 1A

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Five successive car accidents brought traffic to a standstill for 15 hours last weekend where National Highway 1A passes through central Thua Thien-Hue Province's Phu Loc District.

Cars and trucks lined the road for more than 10 kilometers through the district's Loc Thuy and Loc Tien communes and Lang Co Town.

The first accident took place on Saturday evening when a southbound bus lost control and got caught in the banister of Nuoc Ngot Bridge.

Half an hour later, around 1km from the first accident, a bus rear-ended a car, severely injuring the driver.

Immediately following the second accident, the axle of a northbound truck broke on Phuoc Tuong Mountain Pass, which is 3km from the bridge. Another truck spun around in the middle of the road when the driver lost control.

And finally, a heavily loaded truck got a flat tire at the southern mountain pass shortly after the fourth accident.

Traffic returned to normal on Sunday afternoon.

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Five accidents tie up highway traffic

Five successive car accidents bring traffic to a standstill for 15 hours on the National Highway 1A

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Five successive car accidents brought traffic to a standstill for 15 hours last weekend where National Highway 1A passes through central Thua Thien-Hue Province's Phu Loc District.

Cars and trucks lined the road for more than 10 kilometers through the district's Loc Thuy and Loc Tien communes and Lang Co Town.

The first accident took place on Saturday evening when a southbound bus lost control and got caught in the banister of Nuoc Ngot Bridge.

Half an hour later, around 1km from the first accident, a bus rear-ended a car, severely injuring the driver.

Immediately following the second accident, the axle of a northbound truck broke on Phuoc Tuong Mountain Pass, which is 3km from the bridge. Another truck spun around in the middle of the road when the driver lost control.

And finally, a heavily loaded truck got a flat tire at the southern mountain pass shortly after the fourth accident.

Traffic returned to normal on Sunday afternoon.

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People's Committee takes blame for HCM City roads

HCM CITY — With potholes and uncovered manholes causing a series of road accidents in recent weeks, the HCM City People's Committee has decided to closely monitor roadworks and hold relevant individuals and agencies responsible in case of accidents.

Nguyen Thanh Tai, deputy chairman of the People's Committee, admitted the city administration's responsibility for the accidents.

On October 20 Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai ordered the city People's Committee to inspect all roads that are in danger of developing potholes and take measures to repair them, ensuring road users' safety.

His order followed media reports on the road accidents, several of them deadly, caused by improper covering of manholes and re-paving of roads following sewage works.

On October 22 there were 30 deep potholes in city roads, the Department of Transport reported.

Tai said the department was responsible for overseeing the situation and penalising individuals and agencies found responsible for accidents.

But the department said it would be difficult to monitor the situation because there were too many road and other works at the moment, adding if an accident was caused by a pothole created during public works, the contractor and management of that work must bear responsibility.

Truong Trong Nghia, a lawyer, concurred saying the project managers were culpable in case of an accident and should investigate the cause.

If the department denied responsibility, it must inform accident victims who was responsible, he said.

It should order project managers to contact victims or their families and deal with the consequences. — VNS

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Highway dubbed a ‘death trap'

A roundabout on Highway 5 which links Ha Noi with Hai Phong, two biggest cities in the north. Risks of traffic accidents are high on this road. — VNS Photo Truong Vi

HA NOI — Highway No 5 connecting Hai Phong Port and Ha Noi has been dubbed a death trap following a spate of traffic accidents over the last two years.

In the first half of this year, 47 people were killed and 27 injured in 59 traffic accidents on the highway. In the same period last year, there were 48 accidents, 45 deaths and 20 injuries, according to the Nga Ba Hang Traffic Control Station under Hai Duong Police.

Lieutenant colonel Pham Van Luu, head of the Nga Ba Hang Traffic Control Station, said every year, hundreds of people died or were injured on the road. About 80 per cent involved lorries and motorbike drivers who were speeding or driving in the wrong lane.

He said there were four major hot spots where most of the accidents happened.

"Vehicles are allowed to travel at a maximum speed of 80km per hour, but the road quality is not good enough for them to drive that fast. If lorries travel at that speed they can easily have an accident," Luu said.

Furthermore, he said lorries often dropped gravel and building materials on the road, making driving even more hazardous.

He also said vendors had encroached on the sides of the road, making it too narrow for heavy traffic.

"Half of the highway's length has been encroached on by smallholders, especially in the territories of Hung Yen and Hai Duong Provinces and Hai Phong City," Luu said.

He also said residents had extended their homes onto the edges of the highway.

"At first the highway width was 15 metres, which met the standards of the Viet Nam Road Administration. But now it is just seven metres for much of its length," he said.

Local residents have also made gaps in the central reservation barrier so that they can cross the road – another major cause of accidents, he said.

He added that because of the poor condition of the road it was downgraded 12 years after opening to a minor highway.

Nguyen Ngoc Cuong, deputy director of Road Management and Repair Company No 240, said in 2008 the company invested hundreds of billion dong erecting iron barriers along the central reservation, but that local residents were continuing to cross the road where they shouldn't.

He said 30 of the firms' workers were on round-the-clock standby to repair the barrier when pedestrians break through.

Cuong said local authorities should explain to residents why they should only cross the road at designated areas.

He also said local authorities should impose stricter fines on those that damaged the central barrier.

Meanwhile, Quach Dac Giao, head of Traffic Police Team No 1 at Hung Yen Police, said officers had stepped up patrols along the road and had begun to photograph those breaking road rules or who were caught destroying the central reservation.

"The photographs will be sent to schools or offices where they study or work," he said.

Students and employees in the province have signed a pledge not to damage the central barrier, he added.

On June 28, four people were killed and two injured in a lorry crash on the highway. The lorry driver was speeding.— VNS

Workplace accidents on the rise in rural areas

Professor Doctor Le Van Trinh, head of the National Institute of Labour Protection, said there was still not an office in charge of controlling labour accidents and occupational diseases in rural areas.

"Administrative offices are still ignoring these areas," Trinh said.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs was the only office responsible for monitoring workplace accidents, he said.

Official figures on the number of occupational accidents were not available because fewer than 10 percent of enterprises reported their labour accidents annually, Trinh added.

The National Institute of Labour Protection, therefore, has no other alternative but to rely on hospitals for information about accidents and occupational diseases in rural areas.

By conducting a survey of about 1,000 patients at hospitals throughout the country, the institute found that nearly 66 percent of labourers working in the agriculture sector and craft villages had frequent contact with dust. About 60 percent had regular contact with harmful chemicals.

Job site accidents which resulted in abrasions to hands or feet accounted for nearly 39 percent of all agriculture production injuries. The figure was about 44 percent for craft village accidents.

Labourers suffering from respiratory, skin and gynaecological diseases made up 42 percent, 39 percent and 35 percent, respectively, at agriculture production sites; these figures were 54 percent, 46 percent and 38 percent in craft villages.

A report released by the International Labour Organisation said awareness and knowledge about labour safety and hygiene as well as environment protection among labourers in rural areas was still limited.

The organisation said this lack of awareness was one of the main reasons for the rising number of labour accidents and occupational diseases in these areas.

Farmer Nguyen Thi Quit of Thuan Hoa Commune in Hau Giang Province 's Long My District finally went to the Hau Giang General Hospital to receive treatment for her right eye when she could no longer stand the pain.

A leaf brushed across Quit's eye when she was harvesting sugar cane. It took a few days for the pain to surpass her threshold, but by that point the doctors told her it was too late. Her eye was permanently damaged.

In another case, farmer Tran Thanh Quang of Dong Thap Province 's Lai Vung District lost an eye because he used water from a rice field to wash out his eye. The eye became infected and doctors had to remove it out of fear of long-term infection.

Chac Ca Dao Channel, which links Chau Thanh District in An Giang Province with Rach Gia City in Kien Giang Province, has been dubbed by many as a ‘crippled' channel; dozens of labourers working at brick kilns along the channel have suffered damage to their fingers, legs and feet in workplace accidents.

Another survey found an increasing number of women suffering from gynaecological diseases in the Cuu Long ( Mekong ) Delta.

More than 17,300 women in Vinh Long Province have suffered from gynaecological problems since early this year, an increase of 4,000 cases compared with last year's figure.

In Hau Giang Province and Can Tho City, these figures were 12,413 and 24,000 women, respectively.

Doctor Tran Thi Lai, head of the Hau Giang Province 's Population and Family Planning branch, attributed the trend to limited awareness among the women, and the shortage of clean water and hygienic living conditions.

Lai said many women were ashamed and had never visited the doctor for an annual gynaecological exam even though many were married and already had children.

Trinh said agriculture was one of the sectors that exposed workers to dangerous and harmful factors that adversely impacted their heath. The use of dangerous agriculture machines and tools, lack of control over agricultural chemicals and difficult conditions for work-related health care services were the source of many of the problems.

He said legal documents concerning labour accidents and occupational diseases in rural areas had yet to be completed. The problem was compounded by the shortage of inspectors to assess and supervise labour safety and hygiene standards nationwide.

There are currently only 600 inspectors working in this area./.

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Workplace accidents on the rise in rural areas

Farmers harvest the summer-autumn rice crop in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of An Giang. The number of accidents is on the rise as is the spread of occupational diseases in rural areas due to negligence. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vu

HAU GIANG — Administrative and workplace negligence is causing an upward trend in the number of accidents and the spread of occupational diseases in rural areas.

Professor Doctor Le Van Trinh, head of the National Institute of Labour Protection, said there was still not an office in charge of controlling labour accidents and occupational diseases in rural areas.

"Administrative offices are still ignoring these areas," Trinh said.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs was the only office responsible for monitoring workplace accidents, he said.

Official figures on the number of occupational accidents were not available because fewer than 10 per cent of enterprises reported their labour accidents annually, Trinh added.

The National Institute of Labour Protection, therefore, has no other alternative but to rely on hospitals for information about accidents and occupational diseases in rural areas.

By conducting a survey of about 1,000 patients at hospitals throughout the country, the institute found that nearly 66 per cent of labourers working in the agriculture sector and craft villages had frequent contact with dust. About 60 per cent had regular contact with harmful chemicals.

Job site accidents which resulted in abrasions to hands or feet accounted for nearly 39 per cent of all agriculture production injuries. The figure was about 44 per cent for craft village accidents.

Labourers suffering from respiratory, skin and gynaecological diseases made up 42 per cent, 39 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively, at agriculture production sites; these figures were 54 per cent, 46 per cent and 38 per cent in craft villages.

A report released by the International Labour Organisation said awareness and knowledge about labour safety and hygiene as well as environment protection among labourers in rural areas was still limited.

The organisation said this lack of awareness was one of the main reasons for the rising number of labour accidents and occupational diseases in these areas.

Farmer Nguyen Thi Quit of Thuan Hoa Commune in Hau Giang Province's Long My District finally went to the Hau Giang General Hospital to receive treatment for her right eye when she could no longer stand the pain.

A leaf brushed across Quit's eye when she was harvesting sugar cane. It took a few days for the pain to surpass her threshold, but by that point the doctors told her it was too late. Her eye was permanently damaged.

In another case, farmer Tran Thanh Quang of Dong Thap Province's Lai Vung District lost an eye because he used water from a rice field to wash out his eye. The eye became infected and doctors had to remove it out of fear of long-term infection.

Chac Ca Dao Channel, which links Chau Thanh District in An Giang Province with Rach Gia City in Kien Giang Province, has been dubbed by many as a ‘crippled' channel; dozens of labourers working at brick kilns along the channel have suffered damage to their fingers, legs and feet in workplace accidents.

Another survey found an increasing number of women suffering from gynaecological diseases in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.

More than 17,300 women in Vinh Long Province have suffered from gynaecological problems since early this year, an increase of 4,000 cases compared with last year's figure.

In Hau Giang Province and Can Tho City, these figures were 12,413 and 24,000 women, respectively.

Doctor Tran Thi Lai, head of the Hau Giang Province's Population and Family Planning branch, attributed the trend to limited awareness among the women, and the shortage of clean water and hygienic living conditions.

Lai said many women were ashamed and had never visited the doctor for an annual gynaecological exam even though many were married and already had children.

Trinh said agriculture was one of the sectors that exposed workers to dangerous and harmful factors that adversely impacted their heath. The use of dangerous agriculture machines and tools, lack of control over agricultural chemicals and difficult conditions for work-related health care services were the source of many of the problems.

He said legal documents concerning labour accidents and occupational diseases in rural areas had yet to be completed. The problem was compounded by the shortage of inspectors to assess and supervise labour safety and hygiene standards nationwide.

There are currently only 600 inspectors working in this area. — VNS

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Workplace accidents and deaths increase sharply

An upward trend in workplace accidents, including a rapid increase in fatalities, has taken place in the last five years.

Deputy head of the Labour Safety Department Do Thi Thuy Nguyet made the statement after workplace safety reports were recently sent to the department.

Reports from the country's 63 cities and provinces showed that last year alone, 6,200 workplace accidents occurred involving 6,400 people. In the 507 most serious cases, 550 workers lost their lives and another 1,200 were seriously injured. Economic losses attributed to the accidents were estimated to total 40 billion VND (nearly 2 million USD).

Nguyet, whose department falls under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said half of the workplace accidents occurred in the construction industry.

Pham Duc Hinh from the Ministry of Construction's Operations Management Department said: "Fatalities in construction work increased at an alarming rate, jumping from 172 cases in 2005 to 280 cases last year."

He said investigations had shown that the leading cause of death in construction was falling from high places. Accidental falls were responsible for 23 percent of the total workplace fatalities last year.

Nguyet said construction was a booming industry triggered by rapid urban development. From 2005-09, more than 200,000 construction companies employed nearly 2.4 million workers.

"Working in the construction industry exposes workers to a higher possibility of occupational accidents and diseases due to the frequent change of working sites and outdoor working conditions with regular exposure to the weather," she said.

Workplace accidents have become an alarming issue in Hanoi . As of August, 87 accidents had been reported which caused the deaths of 30 people. The latest case occurred at the building site of a 20-storey structure on Tam Trinh Street in July. The incident claimed the lives of three workers.

Bach Quoc Viet of the Hanoi Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said the main reason for construction-related accidents was because developers regularly flouted safety regulations.

"Construction workers often skip the delivery of training sessions about labour safety and hygiene at work, or only offer perfunctory training, while a majority of workers are unskilled and don't have a real grasp of labour safety," he said.

In sharp contrast with the increase in workplace accidents, investigations of the causes and the assigning of responsibility have remained very slow. Although 6,200 workplace accidents were reported last year, the Ministry received only 135 investigation reports. Many provinces where workplace accidents occurred have not submitted reports, including Binh Duong, Ha Nam , Hai Phong, Hai Duong and Son La.

Among the 135 reported cases, only two have been transferred to the People's Procuracy for criminal proceedings.

Nguyen Van At of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour emphasised that to put a stop to the increase in workplace accidents, one immediate measure was to adjust the construction price indices, notably the human resource price index.

"It is not easy to conduct regular inspections so we have to come at the problem from another angle. Setting clear construction prices rather than hiring contractors under package contracts will force developers to pay more attention to guaranteeing worker safety," he said.

Nguyen Thi Hang, chairwoman of the Vietnam Vocational Training Association, said to prevent more accidents from happening in the future, the long-term solution was to integrate a culture of labour safety into companies as a key part of job performance.

"The Government and relevant agencies should invest more in raising awareness about labour safety and in more training at vocational colleges," she said.

Associations co-operating with Vocational Training and Labour Safety departments are offering training for lecturers to integrate labour safety into the curriculum./.

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Workplace accidents and deaths increase sharply

HA NOI — An upward trend in workplace accidents, including a rapid increase in fatalities, has taken place in the last five years.

Deputy head of the Labour Safety Department Do Thi Thuy Nguyet made the statement after workplace safety reports were recently sent to the department.

Reports from the country's 63 provinces and cities showed that in the last year alone, 6,200 workplace accidents occurred involving 6,400 people. In the 507 most serious cases, 550 workers lost their lives and another 1,200 were seriously injured. Economic losses attributed to the accidents was estimated to total VND40 billion (nearly US$2 million).

Nguyet, whose department falls under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said half of the workplace accidents occurred in the construction industry.

Pham Duc Hinh from the Ministry of Construction's Operations Management Department said: "Fatalities in construction work increased at an alarming rate, jumping from 172 cases in 2005 to 280 cases last year."

He said investigations had shown that the leading cause of death in construction was falling from high places. Accidental falls were responsible for 23 per cent of the total workplace fatalities last year.

Nguyet said construction was a booming industry triggered by rapid urban development. From 2005-09, more than 200,000 construction companies employed nearly 2.4 million workers.

"Working in the construction industry exposes workers to a higher possibility of occupational accidents and diseases due to the frequent change of working sites and outdoor working conditions with regular exposure to the weather," she said.

Workplace accidents have become an alarming issue in Ha Noi. As of August, 87 accidents had been reported which caused the deaths of 30 people. The latest case occurred at the building site of a 20-storey structure on Tam Trinh Street in July. The incident claimed the lives of three workers.

Bach Quoc Viet of the Ha Noi Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said the main reason for construction-related accidents was because developers regularly flouted safety regulations.

"Construction workers often skip the delivery of training sessions about labour safety and hygiene at work, or only offer perfunctory training, while a majority of workers are unskilled and don't have a real grasp of labour safety," he said.

In sharp contrast with the increase in workplace accidents, investigations of the causes and the assigning of responsibility have remained very slow. Although 6,200 workplace accidents were reported last year, the Ministry received only 135 investigation reports. Many provinces where workplace accidents occurred have not submitted reports, including Binh Duong, Ha Nam, Hai Phong, Hai Duong and Son La.

Among the 135 reported cases, only two have been transferred to the People's Procuracy for criminal proceedings.

Nguyen Van At of the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour emphasised that to put a stop to the increase in workplace accidents, one immediate measure was to adjust the construction price indices, notably the human resource price index.

"It is not easy to conduct regular inspections so we have to come at the problem from another angle. Setting clear construction prices rather than hiring contractors under package contracts will force developers to pay more attention to guaranteeing worker safety," he said.

Nguyen Thi Hang, chairwoman of the Viet Nam Vocational Training Association, said to prevent more accidents from happening in the future, the long-term solution was to integrate a culture of labour safety into companies as a key part of job performance.

"The Government and relevant agencies should invest more in raising awareness about labour safety and in more training at vocational colleges," she said.

Associations co-operating with Vocational Training and Labour Safety departments are offering training for lecturers to integrate labour safety into the curriculum. — VNS

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Report reveals alarming rise in work-related fatalities

The number of on-the-job fatalities jumped in the first six months of the year, the latest national report reveals.

The rise occurred despite efforts to promote work-place safety standards.

The Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Ministry report shows that 266 workers were killed and 525 seriously injured in more than 2,610 occupational accidents to June 30.

Total material losses were estimated at almost 56.8 billion VND (2.8 million USD) with 64,225 work days lost.

The number of occupational accidents was more than 33 percent higher than the first six months of last year with deaths 27 percent higher and serious injury 107 percent higher.

Most of the deaths and injury were recorded in economic zones, on construction sites or in mines.

HCM City , Quang Ninh, Dong Nai and Hanoi maintained the dubious record of the most work-related accidents.

The number of deaths in Hanoi increased to 19 and in southern Binh Duong province to 16.

Typical of the accidents was an explosion at a mine in Hong Linh commune, central Ha Tinh province, on April 13 where two workers were killed and three injured.

Three workers died and 15 others were seriously injured when a boiler exploded at the Vinh Kien Food Processing Joint Stock Company's factory, the Minh Hoa commune, southern Kien Giang province on May 9.

One death and one injured after a manhole explosion in La Nga commune in southern Dong Nai province on August 23.

Ministry officials blamed both employers and employees for the growing toll.

Employers ignored safety and hygiene regulations and the need to upgrade the working environment while a lack of expertise made risk assessment and measures to curb any danger exacerbated risk.

Awareness of the need for work safety among employees was low.

Official reports also reveal that notification of work accidents is still tardy - just 61 of 425 were promptly reported to the ministry and only three enterprises were subjected to legal action.

A shortage of inspectors is blamed for the poor reporting.

Ministry figures show that Vietnam has only 470 inspectors and they have responsibility for administration; work safety and hygiene, child labour and gender imbalance.

The ministry estimates that at least 1,000 inspectors are required.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Bui Hong Linh said the relevant local authorities must strengthen their examination of small-to-medium enterprises, especially in the construction, electricity and mining industries.

Local officials should check the enforcement of the labour safety and hygiene regulations among employers, he said.

These included training courses for workers; improving their work environment and supplying safety clothing, especially those who work with dangerous equipment and tools in a harmful environment.

The ministry is now writing a national programme for labour safety and hygiene for 2011-15.
The draft will soon go to the Government./.

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Report reveals alarming rise in work-related fatalities

HA NOI — The number of on-the-job fatalities jumped in the first six months of the year, the latest national report reveals.

The rise occurred despite efforts to promote work-place safety standards.

The Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Ministry report shows that 266 workers were killed and 525 seriously injured in more than 2,610 occupational accidents to June 30.

Total material losses were estimated at almost VND56.8 billion (US$2.8 million) with 64,225 work days lost.

The number of occupational accidents was more than 33 per cent higher than the first six months of last year with deaths 27 per cent higher and serious injury 107 per cent higher.

Most of the deaths and injury were recorded in economic zones, on construction sites or in mines.

HCM City, Quang Ninh, Dong Nai and Ha Noi maintained the dubious record of the most work-related accidents.

The number of deaths in Ha Noi increased to 19 and in southern Binh Duong Province to 16.

Typical of the accidents was an explosion at a mine in Hong Linh Commune, central Ha Tinh Province, on April 13 where two workers were killed and three injured.

Three workers died and 15 others were seriously injured when a boiler exploded at the Vinh Kien Food Processing Joint Stock Company's factory, the Minh Hoa Commune, southern Kien Giang Province on May 9.

One death and one injured after a manhole explosion in La Nga Commune in southern Dong Nai Province on Monday.

Ministry officials blamed both employers and employees for the growing toll.

Employers ignored safety and hygiene regulations and the need to upgrade the working environment while a lack of expertise made risk assessment and measures to curb any danger exacerbated risk.

Awareness of the need for work safety among employees was low.

Late reporting

Official reports also reveal that notification of work accidents is still tardy - just 61 of 425 were promptly reported to the ministry and only three enterprises were subjected to legal action.

A shortage of inspectors is blamed for the poor reporting.

Ministry figures show that Viet Nam has only 470 inspectors and they have responsibility for administration; work safety and hygiene, child labour and gender imbalance.

The ministry estimates that at least 1,000 inspectors are required.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Bui Hong Linh said the relevant local authorities must strengthen their examination of small-to-medium enterprises, especially in the construction, electricity and mining industries.

Local officials should check the enforcement of the labour safety and hygiene regulations among employers, he said.

These included training courses for workers; improving their work environment and supplying safety clothing, especially those who work with dangerous equipment and tools in a harmful environment.

The ministry is now writing a national programme for labour safety and hygiene for 2011-15.

The draft will soon go to the Government. — VNS

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