The continuous development of industrialization and modernization has significantly increased utilities and advantages for material and spiritual life for people. However, the fact that one of the downsides happening is that a large number of people in general and the workforce in particular are facing an increasing problem "environmental pollution and unsafe working conditions”. Currently, a large number of workers have suffered from occupational diseases and have serious accidents in labor. According to statistics in 2017, our country had more than 8,956 cases of occupational accidents, of which 898 recorded deaths with more than 928 dead people; more than 28,000 cases of occupational diseases with an increase of about 5,000 cases per year. However, these figures were just the tip of the iceberg because in fact less than 4% of the labor force nationwide is trained and guided on safety work; as well as only a small fraction of occupational accidents are actually statistical or reported.
Prevention and repression of occupational diseases and occupational accidents are extremely urgent. The International Labor Organization (ILO) has called for a global campaign to deal with an increasing number of occupational diseases and occupational accidents worldwide. Occupational accidents and diseases are silent assassins; not only robbing the health and life of workers, making families go into poverty because of losing the pillars of economic care for their families; reducing labor productivity; but also naturally increasing the burden on society because of rising health care costs.
Ton Duc Thang University (TDTU) is the only and pioneering unit in the South of Vietnam providing a graduate and postgraduate program in occupational safety and health. Over the past 20 years, in order to effectively meet the demand for specialized labor with good skills, knowledge and ethics, TDTU has continuously invested high quality teaching human resources; equipped with modern facilities and laboratories; adjusted and updated education programs oriented to top 100 universities in the world in order to make students access practical issues of safety, occupational health, risk identification and risk assessment in the working environment. Engineers graduating from the department of labor safety of TDTU always satisfy employers in monitoring, guiding, managing safety, hygiene and occupational health. The leader of a local university used to study an environment depertment of the most prestigious university in Ho Chi Minh City said: up to now, TDTU's students in technology and environmental science industry can be considered the best in the South of Vietnam.
With the goal of stable and sustainable development, TDTU will continue to create and strive for a peaceful and prosperious world, well perform the responsibility of providing high quality human resources to Vietnam and the world, and bulding the culture of protecting workers' health and safety - a key factor for every success of society.
