Vietnam: What are the requirements of health units at business and production establishments posing high risks of occupational accidents and occupational diseases which employ between 300 and 500 persons?

Main Content

• Vietnam: What are the requirements of health units at business and production establishments posing high risks of occupational accidents and occupational diseases which employ between 300 and 500 persons?
• What are the responsibilities of health units in Vietnam?
• What are the training contents for health workers at manufacturing and business establishments in Vietnam?

Vietnam: What are the requirements of health units at business and production establishments posing high risks of occupational accidents and occupational diseases which employ between 300 and 500 persons?

Pursuant to Article 37 of Decree 39/2016/ND-CP, the organization of health units at business and production establishments posing high risks of occupational accidents and occupational diseases, as well as establishments not posing high risks of occupational accidents and occupational diseases is as follows:

Organization of health unit

The organization of health unit specified in Clause 1, Article 73 of the Law on occupational safety and sanitation is provided for as follows:

1. For the business and production establishments operating the fields and business lines of processing and preservation of aquatic products and products from aquatic products, mining, production of textile, leather, shoes, coke production, chemical production, making of products from rubber and plastic, waste recycling, environmental sanitation, metal production, ship building and repairment, production of constructional materials, the employer must organize the health unit at the establishment to ensure the minimum requirements as follows:

a) The business and production establishments which employ fewer than 300 persons must have at least 01 person to carry out the medical activities with intermediate educational level;

b) The business and production establishments which employ between 300 and 500 persons must have at least 01 doctor/physician and 01 person to carry out the medical activities with intermediate educational level;

c) The business and production establishments which employ between 500 and under 1000 persons must have at least 01 doctor and each shift must have 01 person to carry out the medical activities with intermediate educational level;

d) The business and production establishments which employ 1000 persons or more must establish the medical facility in the form and structure in accordance with regulations of law on health examination and treatment.

2. For the business and production establishments operating the fields and business lines different from the ones specified in Clause 1 of this Article, the employer must organize the health unit at the establishment to ensure the minimum requirements as follows:

a) The business and production establishments which employ fewer than 500 persons must have at least 01 person to carry out the medical activities with intermediate educational level;

b) The business and production establishments which employ between 500 and 1000 persons must have at least 01 physician and 01 person to carry out the medical activities with intermediate educational level;

c) The business and production establishments which employ over 1000 persons must have at least 01 doctor and 01 person to carry out other medical activities.

Thus, the business and production establishments posing high risks of occupational accidents and occupational diseases which employ between 300 and 500 persons have at least 01 doctor/physician and 01 person to carry out the medical activities with intermediate educational level.

Vietnam: What are the requirements of health units at business and production establishments posing high risks of occupational accidents and occupational diseases which employ between 300 and 500 persons?

What are the responsibilities of health units in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Clause 2, Article 73 of the Law on Occupational Safety and Hygiene 2015, the health officer or health unit shall act as an advisor for the employer to look after the employees’ health, including:

- Making emergency scenarios, emergency equipment, essential medicines, providing training in first aid, emergency aid for employees at the business entity;

- Making plans and organizing health check-ups, occupational disease check-ups, medical assessment of decreased work capacity upon occupational accidents or occupational diseases, convalescence and occupational rehabilitation, offering advices on prevention of occupational diseases; suggesting work positions that are suitable for the employees’ health;

- Organizing examinations and treatment of normal diseases at the business entity and first aid and emergency aid for victims of occupational accidents or safety threat as prescribed;

- Propagating information about occupational hygiene, prevention of occupational diseases, promoting better health in the workplace; inspecting the observance of regulations on hygiene, prevention of epidemic diseases, assurance of food safety and hygiene for employees at the business entity; providing in-kind benefit as prescribed;

- Collecting and managing information about occupational safety and hygiene at the workplace; organizing occupational environment monitoring to assess harmful factors; manage health records of employees, health records of employees suffering occupational diseases (if any);

- Cooperating with occupational safety and hygiene unit in performance of tasks prescribed in Clause 2 Article 72 of the Law on Occupational Safety and Hygiene 2015.

What are the training contents for health workers at manufacturing and business establishments in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 3 of Circular 29/2021/TT-BYT, training contents for health workers at manufacturing and business establishments:

- General overview of legislative documents on occupational hygiene and employee healthcare;

- Management of harmful factors at manufacturing and business establishments;

- Occupational diseases and occupation-related diseases;

- First aid and emergency at the workplace;

- Prevention and control of diseases and non-communicable diseases at the workplace;

- Food safety and nutrition at the workplace;

- Communication and education about occupational hygiene, occupational disease prevention and control, healthcare and health promotion at the workplace;

- Formulating a plan for and organizing occupational hygiene and occupational disease prevention and control at the workplace;

- Management of occupational hygiene and employee health records.