Circular No. 05-BLD/TT on ensuring occupational safety in stone mining activities

CIRCULAR

OF THE MINISTER OF LABOUR NUMBER 5/LD-TT
DATED 13 FEBRUARY 1961 ON SAFETY MEASURES IN STONE QUARRYING OPERATIONS

THE MINISTER OF LABOR

Respected Ministries,

General Departments of Forestry, Fisheries, and Geology,

Administrative Committees of Regions, Cities, and Provinces,

Departments, Offices of Labour.

Currently, due to increasing demand for stone in production and construction, stone production facilities have developed significantly. In addition to existing quarry sites of various sectors that are expanding, new production units have been established by construction materials companies, local industrial departments, camp management bureaus, etc.

Some of these facilities, particularly newly opened quarries, often subcontract stone extraction work to production teams without ensuring safety measures (quarries sell explosives directly to workers, collect stones afterward, lack strict control over explosive usage, and fail to provide technical guidance on safe extraction methods). On the other hand, stone workers, except for those recruited from specialized regions with expertise in stone extraction, are mostly local farmers who work at quarries during their off-seasons and return to farming when the season changes, thus lacking knowledge about extraction techniques.

Older stone factories have established rules for blasting and mining, have internal regulations for each profession and task, and have acquired some protective equipment. However, propaganda and education for workers regarding occupational safety awareness and production techniques have not been thoroughly implemented, and supervision to ensure compliance with established regulations has not received adequate attention. As a result, many workers at stone quarries currently violate extraction techniques and safety principles seriously, such as using teeth instead of pliers to attach detonators to explosives, removing detonators and explosives from dud mines with iron rods, placing detonators too short, standing below to pry stones from above with crowbars, climbing high mountains without safety ropes, failing to carefully pry loose rocks after blasting to prevent sudden falls while workers are working below, etc.

Therefore, workplace accidents resulting in fatalities or severe injuries at stone quarries have occurred multiple times since the beginning of 1960.

To address these shortcomings and reduce, ultimately eliminate workplace accidents, protect the lives of people and workers at stone quarries, and create conditions for more intensive stone extraction, the Ministry of Labour deems it necessary to immediately implement the following urgent measures:

1. All stone quarries, including those subcontracting to the public, must strengthen propaganda and education on occupational safety awareness and training on safety techniques for workers and local residents involved in stone extraction.

Propaganda and education on accident prevention awareness are very important tasks; all quarries must pay close attention to performing these tasks well so that everyone truly understands and recognizes their responsibilities, thereby voluntarily complying with established regulations. Before starting production, each quarry must organize comprehensive training sessions for all cadres and workers (including local residents working under contracts) on occupational safety responsibilities and safe extraction techniques. Those joining the quarry later must also undergo similar training before being allowed to start work. Particularly, for workers handling explosives, after completing training on explosive usage, they must pass an examination and only then be assigned tasks after certification of their competence.

AT Quarries currently operating must immediately implement the aforementioned measures if they have not done so already.

2. Strengthen inspection and supervision of the implementation of regulations on occupational safety and technical safety.

Even with organized propaganda and education for workers, if there is no inspection and supervision of implementation, workers will revert to violating regulations in pursuit of productivity after a short period, leading to regrettable accidents. Therefore, each quarry must clearly define the responsibility of all production guidance cadres: team leaders, shift leaders, shift supervisors, etc., to regularly inspect occupational safety in their respective areas and include safety rule compliance in production reviews. For those repeatedly warned but still violate safety rules, the quarry must take firm action, enforce discipline as a warning example.

Additionally, each quarry must assign dedicated personnel to oversee occupational safety and conduct regular inspections throughout the site; it should not entrust this role to part-time staff to avoid neglecting safety due to multiple responsibilities.

Stone production quarries must direct extraction operations and ensure occupational safety for workers, and cannot subcontract extraction work to workers without ensuring occupational safety.

Stone extraction is arduous and potentially dangerous, requiring strict organizational and technical direction. Quarries cannot subcontract extraction work to workers or production teams without managing occupational safety, as this not only fails to protect workers' health and lives but also significantly impedes planned production.

To strictly adhere to the Party and Government's occupational safety policy, from now on, all stone production quarries must directly organize and lead extraction operations. Regardless of whether stone workers are within or outside the roster, temporary hires, contractual workers, or local contract workers, the quarry has the responsibility to ensure occupational safety for them.

In addition to educating brothers and sisters about labor protection awareness and guiding them to properly implement technical safety during stone mining operations, the construction site must arrange for their workplaces to have the minimum conditions for hygiene and labor safety, such as: arranging work so that there is sufficient distance between the rock prying part and the rock crushing part, having a place to temporarily stay during heavy rain or rest during sunny days, providing enough boiled water for drinking, having the necessary number of toilets, and most importantly, having a permanent nurse and a sufficient amount of medical supplies to promptly treat workers in case of accidents.

The construction site must provide necessary personal protective equipment to workers engaged in stone mining, including those working on contractual basis, according to the working conditions of each profession, without including this cost in wages or contract prices.

The tools used by workers are also closely related to labor protection work. At some construction sites, workers have to use poor quality wedges, crowbars, hammers, and chisels, which require significant physical effort but still fail to increase productivity. These tools often crack or break, sending sharp metal fragments into people's bodies or faces, posing great danger. To improve productivity and ensure labor safety, the construction site needs to study ways to provide appropriate tools according to the production organization situation of the unit. For those who already have qualified tools, the construction site can encourage them to bring these items by reasonably compensating for tool wear and tear as other construction sites do.

For brothers and sisters recruited from afar and required to live at the workplace, the construction site must provide adequate sanitary accommodation for eating and sleeping.

4. Proper storage and strict inspection of explosives must be ensured.

Stone mining construction sites usually need to use a relatively large quantity of explosives, detonators, and fuses. If not properly stored, these items may cause serious accidents and losses. Therefore, each construction site must have a separate, properly equipped warehouse to store fuses, explosives, and detonators. Staff responsible for overseeing mining operations must closely monitor and inspect the use of these items. To prevent workers from saving money by improperly loading detonators, placing detonators too short, using fake fuses instead of real ones, or misusing these items for non-work purposes, construction sites must absolutely not sell fuses, detonators, and explosives to workers. Each day, the construction site will distribute only the required number of detonators, with clear records kept in ledgers. Any unused items must be returned to the construction site at the end of each day, and workers are strictly prohibited from taking explosives, fuses, and detonators out of the construction site premises and back to their rooms or private residences.

5. Reporting when opening a stone mining construction site:

Previously, when opening a stone mining construction site, management agencies often did not inform local labor authorities, thus failing to timely seek assistance from these agencies to understand labor regulations, resulting in many shortcomings in implementing labor policies.

To avoid such shortcomings, from now on, every time a construction site is opened, the management agency must immediately report to the local labor authority.

Along with this circular, the Ministry of Labor sends the "Technical Safety Rules for Stone Mining" issued by the Ministry of Industry to relevant sectors to serve as guidance material for workers' training. After gaining experience from applying these rules, the Ministry of Labor will collaborate with relevant departments to research and issue formal safety rules for stone mining construction sites.

The Ministry of Labor requests all Ministries, Administrative Committees of regions, cities, and provinces to widely disseminate this circular and guide construction sites to fully implement it to ensure effective labor protection work on stone mining construction sites.

Local labor agencies are responsible for closely coordinating with trade unions to regularly inspect and supervise implementation, assisting local administrative committees in guiding mining facilities to strictly follow this circular. If encountering difficulties, they should immediately report to the Ministry for timely research and resolution.

ETHICAL RULES

TECHNICAL SAFETY RULES FOR STONE MINING

PART I
GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Article 1: This Technical Safety Rule is temporarily promulgated to prevent potential work-related accidents that could harm the lives of stone miners, aiming to enhance work efficiency.

Article 2: Leaders at all levels must closely cooperate with trade unions to organize education on technical safety rules for staff and workers to learn, regularly inspect and urge compliance with these rules, highlight potential accident risks for general education, and set an example by personally adhering to the rules.

Article 3: On-site leaders must daily inspect each worker's work area, remind brothers and sisters to be vigilant against accidents, and promptly educate and correct any observed issues.

Article 4: Adequate safety equipment and devices must be provided for workers to ensure their safety.

Article 5: The chisel team leader has the responsibility to check and remind team members to comply with safety rules both before and after work to ensure safety; the quarry and rubble team leader must ensure safety for the lower mountain work area.

Article 6: Workers must follow the guidance of leadership, strictly adhere to safety rules for self-protection and the protection of others around them, and refrain from being careless or reckless.

When assigned tasks, if they involve violations of technical safety rules or dangerous work, workers must request that the leader explain preventive measures before proceeding.

Article 7: People with poor vision, hearing impairment, chronic illness, nervous disorders, or heart disease must not be assigned to work on mountains or detonation tasks.

Work with particularly dangerous characteristics must be supervised by specialized personnel to ensure safety.

Article 8: Suggestions from workers regarding modifications to safety equipment, protective gear, etc., must be carefully studied and promptly addressed; if not resolved, the reasons must be clearly explained.

Article 9: In case of workplace accidents, an investigation must be organized to find the cause, draw lessons, and disseminate them throughout the unit, and propose preventive measures for the future.

Article 10: If electricity is required on the construction site, it must be applied according to the electrical safety rules. The General Department will publish these rules along with this document.

Article 11: While working on mountains or on the ground, absolutely prohibit playing, running around, jumping, or throwing rocks at each other, as this is very dangerous.

PART II
SAFETY IN WORK ON MOUNTAINS

Article 12: When climbing up or down the mountain, attention must be paid to:

1. Carefully check the climbing rope, pull it hard, shake it back and forth to make sure any loose stones fall off, always look up the mountain to see falling rocks and avoid them.

2. The climbing rope must be of the correct size, not too small. During rain, the rope often loosens at the joints, heavy rain erodes the soil, and precarious rocks may fall, so after rain, officers must inspect the ropes and surrounding rocks along the route before allowing workers to climb.

3. When climbing, the rope must be pulled straight without sagging. Absolutely do not allow two or three people to climb simultaneously; those below should not urge or stand close under the rope to avoid falling rocks.

4. When climbing, absolutely do not climb areas without ropes, do not climb immediately after blasting, do not grasp or step on cracked or loose rocks. In dangerous areas, absolutely prohibit climbing to drill holes or dislodge rocks.

5. When ascending or descending the mountain, individuals must not carry multiple tools such as drills, hammers, crowbars, water pipes, etc., at once; absolutely do not wear shoes or sandals while climbing.

6. When colleagues climbing the mountain lean on a rock about to fall, they must immediately report to others below to avoid accidents.

Article 13: When drilling holes, pay attention to:

1. Drilling tools must be placed in a secure location where they cannot fall, arranged neatly, not scattered randomly or blocking the rope, to prevent tools from falling when pulling the rope.

2. When drilling holes above three meters from the ground, it is essential to wear a safety harness, regardless of difficulty, do not casually tie the harness to the feet or falsely wear it, as this easily leads to fatal accidents.

3. Before drilling, examine the seating area, hold the hammer, recheck the safety harness to ensure it is secure before starting work. At the beginning of drilling, the person holding the hammer should lean against the mountain to prevent the hammer from bouncing and causing loss of balance and falling. Avoid hitting the hammer too hard to prevent misalignment or flying off.

4. The person holding the drill should not sit directly opposite the hammer holder; instead, sit diagonally to avoid being hit by the hammer.

5. When drilling at heights, do not swing the hammer straight to avoid losing balance and dropping the hammer. Wipe dry the hammer handle if it is sweaty; do not grip the hammer head tightly, and both the hammer holder and the person drilling should focus to prevent misalignment.

6. When the hammer holder is tired, immediately switch to another person to avoid forcing it or losing control, leading to accidents. Repair any cracks in the drill hole immediately to prevent metal fragments from flying out and causing injury.

7. For unfinished drill holes from the previous day, carefully examine the hole before continuing drilling the next day to prevent hidden explosives from causing accidents. When pulling drill holes from deep pits, stand up to avoid falling or getting hands trapped in the hole.

8. For unfinished drill holes that need to be abandoned and moved to another location, proceed cautiously along the safety rope to avoid rocks falling on workers below, and warn them if necessary.

Article 14: When dislodging rocks from the mountain, pay attention to:

1. Clearly assign tasks, have someone guard at the foot of the mountain, workers dislodging rocks must check their safety ropes and standing positions. Absolutely do not stack layers of workers, they must stand side by side, dislodge the top layer first then move to the lower layer, thoroughly clean up debris after each layer.

2. Absolutely do not use one hand to hold a crowbar and the other to push precarious rocks. Absolutely do not stand below and use a crowbar to push rocks upwards. Absolutely do not hang from the crowbar to dislodge rocks, do not place the crowbar in front of the chest, and do not lean on the shoulder to dislodge rocks.

3. When there are workers below the mountain, do not dislodge rocks...

Large rocks must be dislodged gradually using a crowbar rather than pushing together. Dangerous precarious rocks must be reported to the officer for timely measures to dislodge them. Rocks partially dislodged must be completely dislodged.

4. If work hours end and rocks are not fully dislodged, prioritize dislodging dangerous precarious rocks before leaving the mountain. Workers must descend by 7 PM. Absolutely prohibit throwing tools from the mountain.

5. Schedule blasting times reasonably to ensure all rocks are dislodged in the afternoon, avoiding carrying over to the next day.

CHAPTER III
SAFETY IN BLASTING WORK

Article 15: Blasting or detonation work must be led by technical staff with technician or engineer qualifications. Practical tasks such as transferring equipment, materials, explosives, quantities, etc., must be assigned to trained blasters, and technical staff must closely guide and inspect to ensure accuracy.

Article 16: When loading explosives into blast holes, direct guidance and inspection by technical leaders must be present; blasting workers must strictly follow the instructions of the technical leader to ensure safety.

Article 17: Cutting wires must not be placed on iron or stone, but on soft wood; do not raise the knife to cut, use a sharp knife and cut gently. Prohibit inserting the detonator into the wire end before cutting; do not bite the detonator tightly onto the wire with teeth, use pliers to clip.

Article 18: When packing explosives into holes, do not use iron rods, use wooden or bamboo rods to avoid sparks. Around the explosive loading area, do not scatter miscellaneous metal tools.

Article 19: Explosives placed above the detonator must always be less than one-third of the amount below the detonator to prevent rocks from flying far into the camp or civilian houses. After loading explosives, do not use small rocks to fill the holes; simply cover with a layer of soil about one inch thick, then fire all the charges.

Article 20: Detonators must not be kept in cigarette packs, carried on the person, or thrown carelessly at the foot of the mountain or exposed to sunlight. Separate bags with compartments for detonators, wires, and igniting materials must be sewn carefully. If there are many explosives, they should be stored in locked boxes away from sleeping areas. At the end of the day, if there is excess material, return it to the warehouse; if there is a small amount left over, hand it back to the direct leader; do not hang it in the room without permission.

Article 21: During the entire period of using explosives, smoking and bringing fire close to them is strictly prohibited.

Article 22: The direct leader must assign agile and capable personnel to ignite the explosives, understand the positions and quantities of explosives, and know when to ignite them to achieve maximum or minimum blast radius.

Article 23: Guide comrades to safe hiding places and escape routes, clearly assigning those who ignite first and last, ensuring tight communication between units. Those without tasks should hide first.

Article 24: The blasting command must be widely disseminated so that everyone knows to avoid danger. When blasting, there must be a command signal and guards to warn comrades and civilians passing by and animals to take precautions. Before blasting, the direct leader must assign comrades to check dangerous areas again to ensure safety.

Article 25: For camps near rockfall zones, the direct leader must instruct comrades living in tents to stay far away when igniting explosives to avoid being hit by flying rocks, which could be dangerous. Strictly discipline those who refuse to hide.

Article 26: When igniting explosives, pay attention to:

1. Absolutely do not use matches or lighters. Do not blow on the flame.

2. Each person may not ignite more than two charges; if the charges are far apart, each person must ignite one charge. Adjust the length of the wire according to the depth of the hole, consulting the direct leader to ensure sufficient time to hide. In dangerous, precarious locations, prepare secure escape routes and cut longer wires to allow enough time to hide.

3. When igniting a series of charges, maintain close communication to ignite simultaneously, watch out for each other; if comrades have already hidden but the charge has not ignited, immediately run to hide and wait until the series explodes before continuing.

4. After igniting explosives, run at least 200 feet away; do not stop and turn around. Follow the assigned route without crossing through other charges.

Article 27: Absolutely do not ignite explosives during breaks or at night. After igniting explosives, wait for a general command before resuming work. On Sundays or when additional blasting is needed due to a lack of rocks, obtain approval and assignment from the direct leader. During blasting, the direct leader must provide on-site guidance.

Article 28: Command teams must have a strict communication plan during the loading and firing of explosives, with fixed schedules; in case of emergencies, promptly consult to ensure safety.

Article 29: Handling unexploded charges requires attention:

1. Unexploded charges must wait at least 30 minutes before approaching; set up warning signs around the area, assign guards to prevent anyone from working nearby to avoid unexpected explosions, and handle with caution to prevent rolling rocks.

2. Depending on the specific unexploded charge, the direct leader and the person who loaded the charge must inspect and guide according to technical procedures for handling unexploded charges.

Absolutely prohibit using anything to dig out the explosive.

Do not drill or insert wedges into the charge. Absolutely do not ignite dummy detonators.

4. If the direct leader lacks the conditions to handle an unexploded charge, report to the command team to assign technical personnel to study and resolve the issue.

5. Charges that emit smoke upon ignition usually explode 15 minutes later, so wait for orders before approaching; do not rush in dangerously.

When blasting near camps or civilian houses, use water blasting to reduce flying rocks.

Article 30: All equipment, clothing, and body parts of personnel handling explosives may become contaminated with various types of explosives, so after completing work, thoroughly wash and clean clothes and equipment, store separately, and reuse only when necessary; do not bring home or wear for other purposes to avoid future health issues.

PART IV
SAFETY UNDER THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN

Article 31: Before entering the area, do not carry large rocks out to break. The direct leader must carefully observe the surroundings, remind comrades to be cautious of falling rocks, and alert them when rocks fall.

Article 32: Large rocks must be moved outside the restricted area and stacked in an A-shape, keeping a distance of five feet from those breaking rocks, avoiding transportation paths to prevent rocks from hitting passersby.

Article 33: When throwing large rocks, look ahead and behind, warn nearby comrades breaking rocks to move away, do not roll rocks carelessly while they are working below; throw rocks in designated areas to avoid tripping hazards. Use levers for heavy or difficult-to-roll rocks, do not roll them by hand.

Article 34: When breaking large rocks, pay attention to:

1. Wear long pants and gloves to protect against flying rocks.

2. Clear all small rocks from the surface before breaking, strike the rock straight with the hammer along its grain to minimize flying debris.

3. Do not stand on large rocks to break them; if the rock is uneven, stabilize it before breaking.

4. While breaking large rocks, rotate them continuously and strike along their grain to reduce flying debris.

Article 35: Breaking small rocks is prohibited within the restricted area; sit facing each other and not towards the mountain to avoid being hit by falling rocks. If large rocks remain scattered in the restricted area, do not enter to break them.

Article 36: When chiseling rocks into gravel, pay attention to the work to prevent hammer blows from hitting your hand or gravel flying into your face. The hammer handle must be secure, not loose, cracked, or too long. Pay attention to covering your mouth to avoid inhaling rock dust which can cause illness.

Article 37: When loading rocks into baskets, arrange them in order to avoid scattering or being injured when moving around.

CHAPTER V
SAFETY DURING ROCK TRANSPORTATION

Article 38: When carrying gravel with a shoulder pole, pay attention to:

1. The shoulder pole must fit properly, check all straps and poles; if the straps are frayed or the pole is about to break or missing parts, repair or replace immediately to ensure safety.

2. Clothing should be neat and tucked up high, distribute the rocks evenly on both ends of the pole, place the pole on the basket, pay attention not to cut the straps, do not race while carrying, play or push each other, pull others' shoulder poles, watch your feet to avoid tripping, accidents easily occur.

3. When crossing temporary bridges, do not walk on the bridge at the same time with many people to prevent the planks from breaking. The bridge planks must be sturdy, check carefully from time to time, do not allow the planks to shift loosely, if damaged, repair immediately.

Absolutely prohibit crossing areas with no-go signals.

Article 39: When transporting by wheelbarrow, pay attention to:

1. Do not push two or three wheelbarrows in a row at once, to prevent tripping over rocks and bumping into each other.

2. When the wheelbarrow is driven over rocks or narrow paths, pay attention not to let the wheels crush your feet, when unloading rocks, have several people assist in lowering the wheelbarrow slowly, do not allow one person to climb onto the wheelbarrow's forks as it may lose balance and fall dangerously.

Article 40: When loading rocks, load from top down, do not dig deep from below first, to prevent rocks from sliding. When pushing cars, report to colleagues to move away from the tracks one meter before pushing, when descending slopes, push slowly, assign someone to block the car, when the car stops, block securely before getting on the car to work. Absolutely do not sit under the car body.

Article 41: When unloading rocks, pay attention to:

1. When the train is running, absolutely do not walk on the cars carrying rocks even if the train is moving very slowly. Do not sit on the sides of the car or doors, the train shaking strongly can easily cause you to fall off the track.

2. When opening the door to unload rocks, open it slowly and carefully to prevent the door from suddenly opening, causing rocks to fall out dangerously. When planning to unload rocks at a certain location, it must be reported directly by a leader, absolutely do not act on your own to unload wherever you want.

3. Wait until the train has completely stopped before stepping on or off the train to avoid falling accidents. Absolutely prohibit jumping off the train under any circumstances.

 Nguyen Dang

(Signed)