Garment factories in Cambodia and Viet Nam awarded grants to boost commuting safety for workers
Innovative factory-led solutions aim to protect over 31,000 workers through safer transport and infrastructure upgrades.
27 October 2025
GENEVA (ILO News) - Four garment factories in Cambodia and Viet Nam have been awarded grants through the Commuting Safety Challenge, an initiative led by the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s Vision Zero Fund with support from Nike Inc.
The Challenge invited factories to propose innovative, practical solutions to improve commuting safety for garment workers. From 11 submissions, four winners were selected by a panel of occupational safety and road safety experts, with input from the UN Road Safety Fund, Better Factories Cambodia, and the ILO Country Office for Viet Nam. A Methodology developed by Vision Zero Fund, formed the basis of the Commuting Safety Assessment that the factories used.
“Commuting accidents are a serious but often overlooked issue that can impact occupational safety and health,” explained Ockert Dupper, Programme Manager of the ILO’s Vision Zero Fund. “This Challenge empowers factories to implement practical changes that save lives and improve productivity.”
Turning ideas into action
“Improving commuter safety saves lives and livelihoods,” said Nneka Henry, Head of the UN Road Safety Fund. “Through initiatives like this and our Cambodia project, factories are demonstrating leadership in creating safer daily journeys for thousands of workers.”
Freetrend Industrial (Viet Nam) will launch “Your Safety, Our Priority,” featuring a rapid response traffic team, staggered shifts to ease congestion, monthly bus fare subsidies, and infrastructure upgrades. A feedback channel will ensure solutions meet the needs of all workers, including pregnant women and mothers.
Fuluh Shoes (Viet Nam) will pilot a digital Commuting Safety Data Monitoring System to track accidents and risks, replacing its current ad-hoc reporting approach.
Taral International (Cambodia) will replace unsafe standing trucks with proper seat buses and enhance driver and worker training. The initiative will be rolled out across two factories, combining transport upgrades with awareness campaigns.
Far Eastern New Century Corporation (Viet Nam) will improve infrastructure, introduce peer-to-peer training, and engage the community to promote safer commuting options.
Safer commutes, stronger workplaces
The selected projects are expected to benefit over 31,000 workers across the two countries, the majority of whom are women.
“Workers in the garment and footwear sector are disproportionately affected by road accidents in many countries,” said Sittichoke Huckuntod, Senior Director at Nike Inc. “Through our collaboration with the Vision Zero Fund, we aim to reduce road and commuting accidents among workers across our extended supply chain. With this Challenge, we seek to empower workers to make informed decisions and take action to avoid and mitigate known commuting risks.”
The ILO’s Vision Zero Fund will provide financial and technical support to help the factories implement their plans between October 2025 and April 2026. Their experiences will be shared in a global webinar hosted by the Vision Zero Fund to inspire collective action across the garment and footwear sectors.
Vision Zero Fund is part of Safety & Health for All, an ILO flagship programme building a culture of safe, healthy work.