Viet Nam
1. Implementation of Occupational Health
and Safety Standards in Small and
Medium Enterprises
Bureau for Safe Work
Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs
Introduction • machine safety
• workplace design
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are a key focus • working environment
for OSH efforts in Viet Nam. In collaboration with • welfare facilities and work organization.
the ILO and with financial support from the Japanese
Government, the Vietnamese Government has developed After the training of trainers, the new resource trainers
a number of programmes to help these enterprises. conduct two-day courses for workers in their respective
Much of the activity takes place through the ILO’s Work provinces. Typically, there are about 30–35 participants
Improvement in Neighbouring Developments (WIND) from SMEs in each course. During the training, the
and Work Improvements in Small Enterprises (WISE) participants create practical action plans to improve
programmes. the OSH conditions in their workplace, based on
their experience, skills and actual available resources.
Work-improvement programmes To further enhance the impact of the training, each
participating SME commits to implement the changes
Central to the work-improvement programmes is a within two months.
network of resource trainers who guide workers in
developing low-cost improvements to OSH conditions Results
in a workplace. In leveraging the input of these trained
workers, a multiplier effect is created when they become Viet Nam first piloted the WIND programme in 2004
part of the network and help to train more workers. before implementing the WISE programme in October
2008.
The training is done using the Participatory Action
Oriented Training (PAOT) method. This method From May 2004 to July 2007, the WIND programme
provides participants with a first-hand experience in was conducted in 27 of the country’s 63 provinces and
developing low-cost improvements for workplace OSH has been instrumental in guiding farmers in applying
conditions. The resource trainers undergo a four-day simple and low-cost improvements. Currently, there
training in six areas: is a network of about 140 provincial trainers and 768
• developing an OSH checklist volunteer farmers to help facilitate the improvement
• materials handling and storage of OSH in the agriculture sector. More than 10,000
52 ASEAN–OSHNET GOOD OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PRACTICES 2008/2009