Ensuring Labor Safety in Factories

• Develop and distribute Labor safety policies and regulations; this Labor Safety Regulations regulation must conform on Vietnam Labor Code.
• Place a safety reminder board with large symbols and letters at the entrance gate and inside the factory where it is easy for workers to see
• Post messages about labor safety around the factory to continually remind workers to be aware of safety issues. These messages should be interactive with visual aids and use worker-friendly.
• Use safety slogans which are easy to see and remember
• Use pictures and diagrams to illustrate to workers the correct and unsafe ways of using equipment, machinery or fire rescue device, or doing activities such as lifting
• Brainstorm creative ideas to encourage workers to ensure safety in production and wear PPE
• Ensure every worker has sufficient personal protective equipment. Provide workers with personal storage to keep their personal protective equipment such as hat, gloves or shoes. (See Good Practice Guide #12 - How to get workers to wear PPE for more information).
• Supervisors should ensure all workers are wearing all their standard protective equipment before starting every shift: hard hat, shoes, protective clothes or
• Set up the fire rescue system and train the workers on using the fire rescue devices or escaping from the factory in case of fire. Regularly organize fire rescue practice for workers (See Good Practice Guide #13 – Fire Safety for more information).
• Train workers to know how to use lifting machines such as forklifts as well as to conduct manual lifting correctly (See Good Practice Guide #14 – Safe Lifting for more information).
• Train the workers on who to use the electric system and devices in a safe way. Ensure that all the electrical devices are in safe status.
• Train all workers in using correct actions in their work to enhance the productivity and protect their health. Ensure that they have comfortable seats or working position during the work time.
• Setup the emergency system including alarms for fire or emergency, emergency exists, emergency exit maps and procedures.
• Set up the air and light system to ensure providing sufficient air and light to workers.
• Set up the system to help isolate chemical factors such as dust or fume in the factory. Use dust-cleaning machines to clean the factory. Ensure chemical storage areas well ventilated and located away from sources of ignition and labeled in local language.
• Offer timely encouragement and/or rewards for individuals or groups who conform on the safety regulations.
• Regularly conduct safety audit to ensure all the all divisions in the factory well implement the regulations on fire safety, chemical safety, and electrical safety etc.; ensure that all the rescue devices are in good conditions and ready to be used; ensure that emergency exits are clear of obstacles.
• The safety audit should also look at any source of risk within the factory and find a way to remove such source of risk. If the removal of risk is not possible, there must be some signboard to notice the workers about the risk.
• The safety audit also looks at the opportunities to have a safer workplace such as finding ways or additional supporting devices to help workers to do a particular job more safely.

Funding for the Factory Improvement Programme is provided by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the United States Department of Labor.