By Min Ni Kyaw - Jan 03, 2024

According to the workers, the Ministry is forming occupational safety and health committees in order to reduce accidents at work in factories and workplaces, but the actual actions are weak.

"In the factories, the ventilation is bad, the toilet noisome is also there. Not every factory but almost every factory have insufficient light or over brightness. Also, the toilets are not clean and they are smelly. Some factories don’t have enough stuff and toilet ratio. Sometimes we don't even see it as a problem anymore as we are so used to it. The committees are formed just to show the data to the ministry,” a garment worker said.

It is reported that there are accidents in the workplace every day, and there are also cases of people dying. Domestically, the Workplace Safety Act of 1951 has been enacted. According to the law, only the factory and workshops are covered so the Occupational Safety and Health Act was enacted on March 15, 2019, for construction, mining, oil and natural gas industry, communication, transportation, the hotel industry, etc., sectors to follow.

"In construction, we often hear news of accidents. Contractors do not do what they are supposed to do. The workers are also taking it easy. I heard falling from high floors every now and then. If safety is done systematically, these things will not happen," said a construction worker.

According to the list released by the Workshop and Labor Law Inspection Department, 31 occupational safety and health committees were formed in the workshops and factories with more than 50 workers from November (27) to December (26) of last year.

was also reported that during a field study of noise and light availability in factories and workshops in Yangon, Mandalay Bago, Ayeyarwaddy, Magway Divisions and Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, Mon State and Karen State, 35 out of 70 factories did not have the specified light and 23 factories exceeded the specified noise level.

Photo - measuring noise level in the workshop