Garment workers from 19 companies located in four provinces and Ho Chi Minh City took part in two races on April 25 morning to mark World Day for Safety and Health on April 28.

The race, held at the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park, is part of a safety campaign to raise awareness of safety and health among workers in the garment industry.

About 2,500 workers from companies located in HCM City and the provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Long An and Tay Ninh took part in the run.

Better Work Vietnam is part of the Better Work Global Programme, a partnership between the International Labour Organisation and the International Finance Corporation.

It aims to improve working conditions in Vietnamese factories and assesses compliance with international labour standards.

Male workers ran a 2,000-metre race, while females completed a 500-metre run. They all volunteered to take part in the event which handed out 10 prizes.

The workers also answered quizzes presented by Better Work’s representative in Vietnam, regarding electricity, light and noise safety.

“Safety is everybody’s responsibility,” said Tara Rangarajan, programme manager of Better Work Vietnam.

“We should never sacrifice safety for speed,” she told the workers at the event, noting that accidents could occur when workers are required to work as fast as possible.

Last year, up to 6,500 workers were injured at work in the country, 550 of whom died and 1,200 were seriously wounded, according to Better Work Vietnam./.