Untrained workers banned at hazardous building sites

(31-03-2008)
HA NOI — An extremely high death rate has forced the Ministry of Construction to place bans on unqualified and unfit building employees working in dangerous areas.

Labourers who do not have adequate certification, training or physical strength will be forbidden from doing dangerous building work, according to new regulations issued by Construction Minister Nguyen Hong Quan.

The new rules follow a large number of serious work-related accidents last year. Most of them were on building sites.

Figures supplied by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs reveal that from 2002 to 2006, an average of 505 workers were killed each year and 4,800 injured.

Last year, a staggering 621 workers died and 6,337 were injured on the job.

According to the instruction 02/2008/CT-BXD, approved by the Construction Minister, the bans on untrained and unfit building workers will apply to all building sites, particularly on high scaffolding and other high-level work, and on construction work underground and in mines.

Those who have been injured on building sites or have an occupational disease will have to go for health check-ups every six months.

State and other large-scale building enterprises will also have to set up work-safety departments. Those with more than 300 labourers will have to appoint at least one member as head of work safety. Building sites with less workers will have to employ one semi-professional.

Work-safety leaders must be professionals who know how to look after employees and know about the technology necessary for safe construction.

They must also be trained in work safety and have a good knowledge of the rules and regulations relating to the task. As well as work-safety officers, every construction site will have to employ one person to look after workers’ health care – one officer for every 500 labourers.

In addition, each labourer will have to sign a labour contract on a specially set out form before starting work.

On sites involving many sub-contractors, a steering board must be set up to keep a check on the work safety situation. — VNS