Basic knowledge of occupational safety and health: Legal responsibilities and obligations for “ladder/stepladder work” in Vietnam

Behind the rapid economic growth in Vietnam’s manufacturing and construction sites, “occupational accidents” remain a serious issue. In particular, “falls from heights” are a leading cause of fatal accidents, and many of these actually stem from the improper use of daily-used “ladders” and “stepladders,” or the breakage of substandard products.

For corporate safety managers and business owners, protecting the lives of employees is both a humanitarian duty and a legal obligation. Equipment selection that ignores Vietnam’s latest regulations invites irreversible risks such as heavy fines, criminal liability, and the loss of social credibility in the event of an accident.

This article explains the legal responsibilities managers need to know and specific equipment selection criteria to prevent accidents, based on Vietnam’s Law on Occupational Safety and Health and National Technical Regulations (QCVN).

Every enterprise operating in Vietnam is obligated to comply with the Law on Occupational Safety and Health (Law No. 84/2015/QH13). Article 16, in particular, strictly requires employers to “provide machinery and equipment that meet safety standards.”

What site managers should be most attentive to is the National Technical Regulation QCVN 18:2021/BXD issued by the Ministry of Construction. This regulation is a standard referred to not only at construction sites but also at many industrial sites performing maintenance and equipment installation.

If laws are violated and appropriate safety measures are not taken, administrative penalties (fines) will be imposed based on Decree 12/2022/ND-CP. However, even more terrifying is the liability when an accident occurs. According to data from MOLISA (Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs), about 47% of the causes of fatal accidents are determined to lie with the “employer side.”

If an accident occurs as a result of selecting cheap, substandard products with the mindset of “it’s just a stepladder,” managers may be held legally liable for “neglecting foreseeable risks.”

Many occupational accidents tend to be treated as worker carelessness (human error), but Hasegawa Vietnam believes the root cause lies in “anxiety about the equipment.”

Stepladders with wobbling (instability) or creaking sounds during climbing/descending instill unconscious fear in workers. This stress distracts attention and causes missteps. In other words, using cheap local products that do not meet international standards such as JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards), EN (European Standards), or ANSI (American Standards) is synonymous with installing potential accident factors on-site.

Hasegawa Vietnam is not just a stepladder manufacturer. We are a “safety solution provider” that implements Japanese safety standards at Vietnamese sites.

Our factory in Da Nang is one of only four major testing centers for the Hasegawa Group in the world, alongside Japan and China. Here, based on JIS and SG (Consumer Product Safety Association) standards, we conduct durability tests assuming 100 ascents/descents per day for 5 days a week, totaling over 100,000 cycles, as well as rigorous load tests.

Many of the products manufactured in Da Nang are exported to Japan and the United States, where safety standards are considered the strictest in the world (Export ratio: approx. 40% to Japan, approx. 41% to Hong Kong, approx. 16% to USA). In other words, customers within Vietnam can procure “world-class export quality” directly locally.

Hasegawa’s manufacturing philosophy is not just about strength on paper (data). We place importance on the “sensory peace of mind” felt when a human actually steps on it.

The maintenance department of a certain Japanese factory was using general aluminum stepladders purchased from the market, but worker anxiety regarding “wobbling” during high-altitude work was strong, prolonging work time. Action: Introduced Hasegawa’s dedicated stepladders. After: Work efficiency improved due to the peace of mind that “there is absolutely no wobbling,” and report of near-miss incidents related to stepladders became zero for one year after introduction. This is a good example where equipment quality directly contributed to “safety.”

To fulfill legal responsibilities and protect employees, managers should immediately execute the following three actions.

Please inspect all ladders and stepladders on site.

Decree 44/2016/ND-CP mandates occupational safety and health training for workers. In particular, for workers engaged in tasks requiring strict safety demands (Group 3), practical training such as the correct way to set up a ladder (the 75-degree rule) and the principle of three-point contact is essential.

When purchasing new items, do not choose based on price alone; check if they conform to JIS, EN, ANSI, or TCVN (Vietnam National Standards). Hasegawa Vietnam’s products are designed to clear these international standards, offering peace of mind in terms of compliance as well.

Investment in occupational safety is by no means a “cost.” It is the most certain “insurance” to protect the lives of irreplaceable employees and to protect the company from operational stoppages and legal risks due to accidents.

Hasegawa Vietnam continues to provide “reliability you can feel when you step on” by fusing Japanese craftsmanship with Vietnamese manufacturing power. For the sake of legal compliance and ensuring site safety, please experience the “unshakable quality” of our products.