Work starts on 1st National Plan for Occupational Safety and Health in Laos

ILO experts, Lao Government officials, trade union and employer representatives are meeting in a National Tripartite Workshop to start working on the Lao PDR’s first national programme for Occupational Safety and Health.

Press release | 27 July 2004

Work will begin later this week on the Lao PDR’s first national programme for Occupational Safety and Health.

International ILO experts, senior Lao government officials, trade union and employer representatives will be among more than 50 delegates attending the second National Tripartite Workshop on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). The meeting is being organised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, from 29-30 July 2004.

The conference will identify priorities for the country’s first five-year OSH master programme, which will run from 2005-2009. It will review the effectiveness of previous safety and health policies and look for ways to improve and expand training.

The first national tripartite workshop (bringing together representatives of government, employers and workers) was held in May 2000 in Vientiane. It selected construction, small enterprises and agriculture as safety and health priorities. Since then the ILO has held a series of training programmes, targeting those involved in small and medium sized enterprises and small construction sites. This week’s meeting seeks to build on this work, in particular by looking for ways to expand OSH training into the provinces.

The two-day conference at the Napakuang Resort, Thalath, Vientiane Province, will be opened by the Vice-Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Laoly Phyphengyour, who will also give the opening speech.

Tsuyoshi Kawakami, the ILO specialist on Occupational Safety and Health for East Asia, said “Helping countries to develop national occupational safety and health action programmes is one of the ILO’s most important tasks. Good safety and health practices are easy and cheap to put in place and can make a huge difference to the health and quality of life of ordinary people. I am very excited that the Lao PDR has decided to work with us on this”.

“The OSH practices we will be demonstrating have been tried and tested elsewhere in the region and we are confident they will work well in Laos . We hope that by training a network of trainers OSH protection will filter down to grassroots workplaces, which are the bedrock of socio-economic development in this country”.

For more information please contact:
Tsuyoshi Kawakami
ILO OSH Specialist
Subregional Office for East Asia, Bangkok
Email

Sophy Fisher
ILO Regional Information Officer
Tel: 02 288 2482
Email