Permanent Secretary of Labour M.L. Puntrik Smiti chaired the meeting to drive actions under the Safety Thailand initiative which took place at the Nikom Chandravithun conference room. She spoke about expanding Safety Thailand initiatives to prevent losses towards employers, employers, families and national reputation, which would require close collaboration from all relevant units. She said that focus should particularly be given to 4 industries at risk including business relevant to fire, machinery, confined spaced and radiation, construction, agriculture at risk of chemical exposure and transportation both on water and road.
The Safety Thailand project which was signed by 6 ministries (Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Public Administration), aims to reduce accidents by 5 percent. Results found that accidents in the construction industry reduced by 7.78 percent, fire hazards reduced by 38.1 percent and chemical accidents reduced by 12 percent. In the agricultural industry, risks from pesticides increased by 2.85 percent.
The Permanent Secretary said that the next step in driving occupational health and safety in Thailand would need clear measures from all units in order to evaluate progress accurately. She said that a report on progress would be presented to the Cabinet in phases as the Safety Thailand policy is part of the government’s 3-year progress.
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Spokesperson and Publication Sub-Division/
Bureau of Public Relations/
Chaninthorn Phettab – News/
Sompob Silbut – Photos/
23 May 2017