The health and safety of agricultural workers and the role of the Vietnamese Farmers Association were on the agenda at seminar

Hanoi (VNA) –The health and safety of agricultural workers and the role of the
Vietnamese Farmers Association were on the agenda at a seminar in Hanoi on Dec. 4.


Working in an agriculture environment exposes many workers to dangerous toxic
elements, said the seminar.

Only one-third of recently surveyed households understood how to use electricity
or chemicals used in agriculture, one-third only knew a little and the remainder
knew nothing at all. Less than 10 percent of these households understood how to
operate farm machinery due to the many different makes and models.

In addition, farmers lacked understanding of how to prevent accidents and
diseases. Local authorities and the whole of society have failed to pay due
attention to ensuring their health and safety at work, said the seminar.

There is no official data on farmers’ illnesses or the number of accidents,
injuries, deaths and cases of poisoning by chemicals, it said.

Dr Dinh Hanh Thung from Vietnam’s Occupational Health and Safety Association
used the occasion to propose that the National Assembly incorporate health and
safety policies and mechanisms for agricultural workers into the Labour Code or
the Law on Labour Health and Safety and that the Government issue a decree on
health and safety for the agricultural sector and rural areas.

Training on the issue should be combined with other professional training
programmes focusing on the dangers of operating machinery, using electricity and
chemicals and knowledge of preventive measures, concluded the
participants.-Enditem