The Ministry of Labour held the 30th National Safety Week at Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre from 30 June to 2 July 2016. The event aimed to promote occupational safety consciousness among all parties, collectively review problems and implement health activities so as to realize the target of cutting down on occupational injuries and diseases as much as possible, which would benefit the country’s economic and social developments.

M.L. Puntrik Smiti, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Labour, said the government has a policy to promote stability, prosperity and sustainability in Thailand by enhancing competitiveness of member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and occupational safety is a key for the task. She said Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha is concerned and places importance on promoting occupational safety culture in compliance with the government’s Safety Thailand policy, noting that in 2016, the Ministry of Labour has worked with other ministries in implementing the Safety Thailand project to reduce injuries and losses of lives and properties among workers in all parts of the country. To achieve the task, all concerned parties need to be aware of the importance of occupational safety and help promote the awareness in the general public. Not only workers but youths, families and the community need to be aware of discipline, self and social responsibilities, self-respect, respecting others, recognizing occupational risks or hazards at work as well as at home and in the public, and technology usage and development and keep practicing these manners to strengthen safety consciousness. This will lead to a creation of occupational safety culture in Thailand, she added.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Pannee Sriyudhsak, Director-General of Department of Labour Protection and Welfare, said the organization of the National Safety Week followed the cabinet’s resolution. The event is held annually and it is the 30th of its kind this year. This year’s event is held from 30 June to 2 July 2019, under the theme of “Decent Safety and Health for Workers Brings National Stability, Prosperity and Sustainability”, with an aim to campaign, promote and encourage all concerned parties to be aware of the importance of occupational safety as well as occupational hazards and losses due to unsafety and occupational diseases. She said the event is a forum to share knowledge, technology and innovations and it is also a focal event which helps share knowledge and experience of occupational safety, health and environment. Awards were also given to enterprises, educational institutes and personnel with outstanding record of occupational safety so others can follow their good practices and reduce occupational injuries and diseases rates as much as possible in compliance with Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No.187) ratified by Thailand. This year, core activities such as technical seminar, knowledge dissemination, exhibition on management of safety innovations from government agencies, private sector and educational institutions, competition of Emergency Response Team in enterprises, etc., were conducted and there were also outstanding enterprises on occupational safety’s award granting ceremony where awards were given to 330 enterprises, 5 occupational safety, health and environment committees, and 26 professional safety officers as well as the granting of awards for safe school to 254 schools.