As many as 176 workers have died on the job so far this year, the LabourSafety Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and SocialAffairs (MOLISA) has reported.

The department pointedto low awareness of labour safety regulations, as well as a shortage ofState labour safety staff and inadequate punishments for violations asmain causes.

There are currently 450 labour inspectorsfor the whole country, but only about 50 received training in laboursafety and hygiene standards. Two are doctors.

Consequently, only 0.22 percent of operating enterprises can be inspected by State officials each year.

According to MOLISA reports from 58 cities and provinces, nearly 13,000enterprises and factories have been inspected this year. More than1,000 were found violating labour safety regulations.

In addition, early this year, four MOLISA inspection groups collectednearly 280 million VND (13,460 USD) from roughly 70 violatingenterprises in the three northern provinces of Bac Giang, Lang Son andThai Nguyen.

In early 2013, more than 320,000 workersat State agencies at central and local levels were trained in laboursafety and hygiene as well as fire control and prevention.

The Labour Safety Department plans to issue labour safety and hygieneguidelines concerning the use of special equipment and electricity inhigh-risk sectors and instruct enterprises in the application of theguidelines.

The department planned to complete seven sets ofnational labour safety standards this year and is working urgently todevelop the Law on Labour Safety and Hygiene so as to submit it to theNational Assembly for approval in 2014.-VNA