The HCMC Department of Construction has ordered developers, contractors, and related units to strengthen construction management and ensure labor safety and environmental sanitation for ongoing projects across the city, particularly major and strategic works.
Mr. Bo Ky Thuat, Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Construction, said that following directives from the municipal People’s Committee, the Department had issued an instruction requiring developers, contractors, and relevant agencies to step up management and enforcement of safety and environmental standards on construction sites citywide, with special emphasis on key projects on the afternoon of January 19.
According to the Department, construction activities in Ho Chi Minh City have continued to carry risks of occupational accidents, especially at large-scale and technically complicated sites. As such, tightening discipline and enhancing the accountability of all parties involved in construction remains imperative to reduce incidents and workplace injuries while safeguarding workers and the surrounding community.
The Department has instructed investors, construction contractors, and regional project management boards to fully comply with responsibilities set out in Directive No.03/CT-BXD dated June 6, 2025, issued by the Ministry of Construction on strengthening construction quality management and workplace safety, as well as regulations stipulated in Government Decree No.06/2021/ND-CP.
Contractors must strictly observe legal requirements on occupational safety, particularly in the use of machinery, equipment, and materials subject to stringent safety controls. During construction, they are required to implement full protective measures against falls from height, electrical hazards, working at elevated locations or within confined spaces, and to comply with National Technical Regulation QCVN 18:2021/BXD on construction site safety.
In addition, the Department has directed contractors to prepare, approve, and rigorously execute construction method statements, occupational safety plans, measures to protect adjacent structures, fire and explosion prevention plans, and environmental sanitation protocols suitable to each project’s scale and characteristics. On-site inspection and supervision must be enhanced, with immediate rectification or suspension mandated for any violations of labor safety and environmental standards.
The Department stressed that project owners will be held legally accountable should accidents or construction-related incidents occur due to failure to fulfil mandated management responsibilities. Government management agencies have been tasked with strengthening guidance and oversight of high-risk machinery and equipment usage, while inspecting construction quality and workplace safety at sites citywide.
The city will strictly sanction organizations and individuals that violate regulations on construction order, quality control, labor safety, or environmental hygiene. It may require replacement or suspension of units that fail to meet capability requirements. Authorities will decisively halt construction activities or stop the use of machinery and equipment upon detecting defects, safety hazards, or risks of workplace accidents and structural failures.
The Department also requested the People’s Committees of wards, communes, and Con Dao Special Zone, as well as management boards of export processing zones, industrial parks, and the Saigon High-Tech Park, to coordinate closely and urgently execute these directives to ensure safety, quality, and efficiency across construction projects throughout the city.
