Occupational Safety and Health Programme
The Government of Thailand has recognized the importance of occupational safety and health issues in its Ninth National Economic and Social Development Plan, making the reduction of preventable accidents a development target. Many OSH programmes have been lauched to contribute the achievement of those objectives, and the overall goal of creating safer and better workplaces.
National Safety Week
National Safety Week has been organized annually since 1986. A number of events are organized at a convention centre during National Safety Week including a prize-giving recognizing companies which have achieved high standards of safety; and individuals who have contributed to safety promotion, safety and health seminars and safety exhibitions. In recent years, some 800-1,000 people attended the seminar, while over 10,000 visited the exhibition. National Safety Week is usually inaugurated by the Deputy Prime Minister, although in 1994 the Prime Minister himself opened the even. National Safety Week activities were expanded to reach the provincial level in 1993.
Sustainable OSH Programme
In late 1996, the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare launched its Sustainable OSH Programme to promote the establishment of OSH management systems at the enterprise level through the organization of training and guidance programmes for enterprises. The programme approach was modified in 1998 to focus more intensely on the enforcement of the basic elements of the OSH management system which are required by legislation - including ensuring safety committees and safety officers are working properly. Under the current programme, selected employers together with safety officers and worker representatives are invited to the labour inspection office to explain there OSH management system to the inspectors. Many labour inspectors are mobilized for this programme with technical support from the National Institute for the Improvement of Working Conditions and Environment (NICE) and its regional centres (RICEs). This programme supplements on-site inspection office to ensure compliance with basic OSH requirements. It is particularly concerned with requirements related to the establishment and functioning of OSH management systems at the enterprise level, and their functions.
OSH Promotion Campaign among High-risk Industries
In order to decrease the rates of workplace accidents and injuries in the long run, the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare has launched a programme on Reduction of Workplace Accidents and Injuries in 16 High-risk Industries. The program was initiated under the concept of labour officer development. Specific training would be conducted for government OSH inspectors in order to improve their work efficiency as well as knowledge and skill in inspection at such industries.
The achievement of the programme, as well as critical success factors such as work performance and work efficiency of labour inspectors would be closely reviewed and evaluated. In addition, key performance indexes have been established for measurement of outputs and outcomes under the programme.
Zero Accident Campaign Programme
Since the year 2000, the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare has launched the Zero Accident Campaign Programme. This aims at OSH promotion and to encourage and the enterprises to develop their occupational safety and health management system ro prevention and control of occupational accidents and diseases. As of Feb. 2004, there are 215 enterprises joins this programme while 163 of this number have received the certificate from the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare.
In order to receive the above certificate, an enterprise must achieve the followin criteria:
No case of accident in a specified period, no lost time accident within one year;
No lost time accident within one million work hours up to less than three million work hours;
No lost time accident within three million work hours up to less than ten million work hours; and
No lost time accident within more than ten million work hours.
OSH Training Programme
Safety officers play a key role in promoting action to improve OSH at the enterprise level. Enterprises employing 100 or more workers are required by law to appoint a qualified safety officer, who has completed one of the six-week training courses offered by authorized training institutions/agencies. The requirements governing safety officer appointments were expanded in 1997 by the new regulation of Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. Under the terms of the new regulation, safety officers should be appointed at different levels. Further, the provision of training on OSH to workers is also required by the OSH Notifications of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in relation to OSH matters.
The concept and direction in national development has emphasized in human as the "center for development". Thus, management strategies would aim at factors relevant to human including OSH training. With the government policy and the introduction of new labour regulation, the number of training courses required has increased dramatically. The Department of Labour Protection and Welfare also introduced a new system of training provision, allowing for the delivery of these courses through authorized training institutions. As a consequence, the number of authorized OSH training institutions has increased rapidly year by year. Recently, the memorandum of understanding for the conduct of active occupational safety and health training in improve OSH outcomes in Thai enterprises has been agreed between relevant parties including:
1) Ministry of Labour in Thai Government;
2) The Asian Workers' Occupational Helath, Safety and Environment Institute (OHSEI);
3) Safety and Health at Work Promotion Association of Thailand; and
4) National Safety Officers Association of Thailand.
OSH Information Dissemination
NICE and other concerned government institutions have been disseminating various kinds of practical OSH information documents for more than a decade. However, the development of new types of information sheets has been limited in recent years. The NICE also answers enquires from and provides advice and supoort to safety officers, managers and workers in industry. The library of the NICE is open to the public, making a variety of books available.
The world wide web has become a significant OSH information source, and an efficient information sharing tool. The NICE and other concerned agencies have all developed websites on OSH. These sites provide information on relevant laws and regulations, statistics and services available from each institution. |
