Hanoi has once again mandated all high-risk production establishments to develop detailed occupational safety and health plans for the remainder of 2025.

The municipal People's Committee requested in a document issued on August 4.

Workers at the launch of the Occupational Safety and Health Action Month held in April. Photos: Anh Kiet/The Hanoi Times

Under the plan, Hanoi targets a 5% annual reduction in fatal workplace accidents; occupational and safety (OSH) training for grassroots officials, industrial park staff, 80% of hazardous job workers, and all first-aid teams at high-risk sites; health screenings for half of at-risk workers; a 15% cut in new occupational disease cases; and investigation of serious accidents.

The city viewed the plan as a long-term mission to raise awareness and reinforce the accountability of the entire political system, enterprises, and workers.

It stresses the importance of state management adaptation to the two-tier governance model, while improving working conditions and proactively addressing risks to maintain stable production.

Key tasks outlined include improving state management capacity on OSH, better workplace healthcare services, and expanding public communication channels about occupational safety.

Agencies involved in the plan include the Hanoi Department of Home Affairs, the Vietnam Fatherland Front in Hanoi, the Department of Health, and the city’s Management Board of High-Tech and Industrial Parks. 

They are in charge of certain missions to ensure OSH training for officials, business executives, and workers while running campaigns, such as “Green-Clean-Beautiful, Ensuring Occupational Safety and Hygiene.”

Other departments and agencies are tasked with integrating safety enforcement into their ongoing responsibilities.

Meanwhile, commune-level People’s Committees will use broadcast systems, social media, and iHaNoi [the digital capital citizen application] to disseminate safety regulations and supervise OSH implementation in businesses.

Five-year roadmap aims to cut accidents

Hanoi CDC staff monitor the enforcement of occupational safety and hygiene. Photo: Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper

Over recent years, Hanoi has prioritized workplace safety in its economic development and social welfare strategy. However, many units, companies, and construction sites remain indifferent to safety rules, leading to a continued risk of accidents.

In 2024, the city recorded 37 occupational accidents, including 27 fatal incidents resulting in 31 deaths, caused by failure to develop safety plans, insufficient training, and violations in the use of equipment. Many serious accidents in informal work settings have resulted in only administrative fines rather than criminal or financial accountability.

Additionally, safety inspections have not been consistently carried out.

To address these shortcomings, the city has adopted Plan No. 394/KH-UBND signed by Vice Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Vu Thu Ha on December 31, 2024, to reinforce OSH efforts in 2025.

From 2025 to 2030, Hanoi aims to reduce the annual rate of workplace accidents by at least 5.5% and the fatal and injury rates by 5% each year. It also targets a 5% annual increase in the number of workers in hazardous environments receiving occupational health checkups.

In another move, the vice chairwoman also signed Decision No. 614/QD-UBND on February 6, 2025, launching inter-agency inspections of labor safety and fire prevention at 30 workplaces and construction sites across the city.