Identification, analysis and aggregation of occupational injury scenarios for prioritizing intervention strategies in rural communes of Vietnam

Objectives: Injuries are a leading cause of work-related disability and death in rapidly developing countries such as Vietnam. Our objective was to demonstrate the utility of detailed injury narratives, derived from a household survey, in providing information on the determinants of work-related injuries to inform potential intervention targets.

Methods: In a cross-sectional survey administered to 2,615 households of a rapidly developing community of Vietnam, where many workers engage in both agriculture and industrial work, we collected information about self-reported work-related injuries, annual hours worked in each industry and narrative text describing the circumstances of each injury. We used a customized coding taxonomy to describe injury scenarios.

Results: Several intervention themes emerged, including the implementation of machine guarding, the use of cut resistant gloves and safety glasses, which would benefit the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Calculation of incidence rates using FTE, stratified by work group, provided some unexpected observations of the risks of working in agriculture; workers who work in agriculture in addition to another industry are at increased risk of fatigue or overexertion and other consequences of working too hard in their agricultural activities.

Conclusions: A lack of aggregate injury statistics makes it difficult for the owners of SMEs, to recognize a priori the most effective safety interventions. Our analysis of detailed injury narratives with an appropriate taxonomic basis offers the ability to focus to the level of cause, activity and source and may inform the choice of various potential interventions at the workplace or enterprise level.