Is it necessary for employees in Vietnam to sign in the record of personal protective equipment (PPE)?

Is it necessary for employees in Vietnam to sign in the record of personal protective equipment (PPE)?

Pursuant to Article 8 of the Circular 25/2022/TT-BLĐTBXH (effective from 01/04/2023) stipulating as follows:

Responsibilities of employers

1. On the basis of this Circular and expiry date of PPE, employers shall consult internal employee representative bodies annually to produce procurement plans (and backup procurement plans) and provide PPE for employees.

2. Inspect PPE before issue and during use. If PPE is provided for representatives of teams or factories, organize inspections and supervise the delivery of PPE to employees.

3. Record the provision of PPE using form under Appendix II attached hereto in which employees or representatives of teams or factories who receive the PPE must sign.

Employers are encouraged to digitalize the monitoring and provision of PPE and allow employees to apply information technology to verify.

4. Consult internal employee representative bodies before deciding on expiry date and quantity of PPE to be provided for employees.

5. Ensure adherence to rules under Clause 3 Article 23 of the Law on Occupational Safety and Hygiene and this Circular.

6. Upon performing regulations under Clause 3 Article 5 hereof, employers must also submit reports using form under Appendix III attached hereto to the Minister of Labor - War Invalids and Social Affairs to request revision or addition to the list.

As regulations above, record the provision of PPE using form under Appendix II attached hereto in which employees or representatives of teams or factories who receive the PPE must sign.

Employers are encouraged to digitalize the monitoring and provision of PPE and allow employees to apply information technology to verify. 

What are rules for preserving personal protective equipment (PPE) in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 7 of the Circular 25/2022/TT-BLĐTBXH (effective from 01/04/2023) stipulating rules for preserving PPE in Vietnam as follows:

- Employers are responsible for designing locations for storing and preserving PPE in accordance with manufacturers' instructions. Employers are responsible for preserving provided PPE.

- In regard to PPE for use in places with inadequate hygiene conditions or vulnerable to toxic, infection, or radiation, employees must clean, disinfect, sterilize, or perform radioactive decontamination after each use in order to maintain occupational safety and hygiene for other employees and surrounding environment and carry out periodic inspection.

In Vietnam: Do employees have to return PPE when they are reassigned to other tasks?

Pursuant to Article 6 of the Circular 25/2022/TT-BLĐTBXH (effective from 01/04/2023) stipulating as follows:

Rules for using PPE

1. Employers must provide instructions to allow employees to proficiently use PPE in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions and inspect the use of PPE.

2. In regard to specialized PPE with high technical requirements, employers must organize inspections and testing in order to ensure quality and specifications of these equipment before providing them as well as periodic inspection during use and logging their use; employers must not use PPE that does not meet technical requirements or have expired according to providers’ recommendation; employers must immediately discard defective PPE and PPE that does not meet occupational safety and hygiene standards.

3. Employees must use the provided PPE accordingly while working. Violations shall be met with disciplinary actions depending on level of violation as prescribed by working regulations of their workplace or the law.

4. Employers must resupply employees with new PPE if their previous PPE is lost, damaged, or expired. Employees are liable for compensation if their PPE is lost or damaged without justifiable reasons in accordance with working regulations of their workplace. Upon expiry of the PPE or when employees are reassigned to other tasks, employees must return their PPE at request of their employers and sign the transfer form.

As regulations above, when employees are reassigned to other tasks, employees must return their PPE at request of their employers and sign the transfer form. 

Best regards!