1992
In 1992, MOLISA conducted a survey and evaluation of working conditions among women whose jobs involved manual handling in four ports and train stations, including Da Nang Port, Sai Gon Port, a transport service company, and Giap Bat station. This study involved 1,783 employees, of whom 739 were females involved in manual handling. Most of these women often lifted and carried loads weighing from 80 to 100 kilograms. For example, direct observation at a quarry in Phu Ly showed that 180 women worked as porters. They had to carry large rocks from the quarry to a truck. This involved actions such as bending to pick up rocks, lifting them to their shoulders, and putting them into the truck. The work was especially hard because workers had to manage with only rudimentary tools and methods. Mechanical aids were lacking, and the women often worked outside in full sun.

1994
In 1994, MOLISA and other ministries conducted a survey and evaluation of working conditions among women whose jobs involved manual handling in two food-processing enterprises. The total number of employees in the investigated enterprises was 690, of whom 280 were women whose jobs involved manual handling. Most of the women had to lift and carry loads of more than 30 kilograms of fish or food in a cold and humid working environment.

1997
In 1997, MOLISA and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development conducted a survey and evaluation of working conditions among women whose jobs involved manual handling in feather-processing enterprises. The study investigated three enterprises with 60 women workers whose jobs involved manual handling. Most of the women had to carry loads of more than 30 kilograms in a dusty working environment.

1998-1999
In 1998-1999, MOLISA conducted a survey and evaluation of working conditions among women whose jobs involved manual handling in chemical enterprises. This study investigated two chemical enterprises with 300 women workers whose jobs involved manual handling. Most of the women had to carry loads of more than 50 kilograms. This task was both heavy and hazardous. In most chemical enterprises, workers were exposed to carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). Other potentially harmful substances such as sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄), hydrochloric acid (HCL), nitric acid (HNO₃), benzene (C₆H₆), arsenic (As), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and lead gas. Concentrations of these gases sometimes exceeded the permitted standard by many times.

These studies indicate that working conditions among women engaged in manual handling are extremely poor. Findings included the following:

• Weight handled by women often ranges to more than 50 kilograms.
• Such manual handling can constitute more than 50 per cent of a work shift.
• Heavy objects are often handled over a distance of one or two metres.
• Mechanical aids are often lacking or otherwise inadequate.
• Conditions in the workplace environment are poor, with noise, toxic substances, and dust often exceeding permitted standards.
• Work organization is often narrow and inappropriate.
• Postural requirements imposed by manual handling are often hazardous to health.
• A variety of objects, from chemicals and feathers to rocks, are handled by women workers. The nature of the object is immaterial, in terms of its weight, although other hazards might present themselves from associated dust or poisons, for example.
• These employees have limited education and skills.
• The legal framework governing manual handling is inadequate. Circular No. 03 from MOLISA and the MOF (28 January 1994) stipulates that women are not allowed to manually handle loads of over 50 kilograms in weight. But the protective measures prescribed for manual handling in this circular are inadequate – essentially, they merely address manual lifting of more than 50 kilograms. It ignores pushing, levering, pulling, and carrying. It pays no attention to the frequency, the duration, and distance that material must be manually moved. Neither does it provide adequate measures to protect health and safety when a job requires manual handling more generally. It takes insufficient account of the health of individuals in carrying heavy loads, among other things setting no maximum permissible load for men.
• Results of workers’ health examinations showed that women suffer a high rate of medical complaints, with ailments such as back pain or prolapsed disks leaving them at least temporarily unable to work. Problems such as these are linked to prolonged lifting or carrying of heavy loads. Data from the Central Commission of Medical Expertise indicated that, from 1989 to 1990, 20.96 per cent of women workers in the 30- to 40-year age group were forced to take time away from work because of such injuries. Data from MOLISA investigations showed that, between 1990 and 1992, 842 from a total of 27,850 women workers in the investigated enterprises had to retire because of health problems. All of them were younger than 45 years. Unfortunately, the social security fund does not consider back pain an occupational disease, so no compensation is awarded for this kind of disease.

Reasons for this situation:

• lack of mechanical aids;
• lack of experience and worker skills due to limited OSH awareness among employees, and lack of training courses on safe manual handling; and
• lack of good legislative or regulative guidelines for safe manual handling.

The following measures can improve working conditions in general:

• provide mechanical aids;
• reorganize work;
• reduce working hours;
• improve the working environment;
• enhance OSH awareness among employees by publishing guidelines for safe manual handling;
• organize training courses on OSH and safety manual handling;
• conduct further comprehensive studies, for example OSH surveys of manual handling in small and medium-size enterprises; and
• improve regulations regarding safe manual handling.

Laws should require the following: the redesign of workplaces to make them more suitable for employees; risk assessments; risk control; and provision of mechanical aids and training. Proposals for new regulations should require employers to take all practicable steps to make sure that workplaces are suitable for the workers doing manual handling. Such measures mean consideration of the following factors:

• required exertion on the part of the worker;
• actions and movements involved in manual handling;
• range of weights handled;
• duration and frequency of the manual handling;
• time and distance over which an object is handled;
• availability of mechanical aids;
• layout and condition of workplace environment;
• work organization;
• postural requirements imposed by manual handling;
• analysis of injury statistics relevant to manual handling;
• sex of those employees engaged in manual handling;
• worker skills and experience;
• nature of the objects being handled; and
• any other factors considered relevant by the employers, the employees, or health officials.

In conclusion, any effective programme addressing working conditions among workers engaged in manual handling requires further research into the issues, measures to enhance OSH awareness, and revisions to OSH law.

1. MOLISA. 1991. Investigation and evaluation of the working condition of women workers in heavy and dangerous occupations in state enterprises.
2. MOLISA. 1992. A survey and evaluation of working conditions of women whose jobs involve manual handling in four ports and train stations.
3. MOLISA. 1994. Report on harmful working conditions in some occupations in the agriculture and food industries.
4. MOLISA. 1998-1999. Evaluation of the implementation of the list of occupations in which the employment of women is prohibited.

Updated by PAP/SUT/TRS. Approved by BKL. Last updated on 15 November 2000