Pesticide regulations and farm worker safety: the need to improve pesticide regulations in Viet Nam.
Agricultural pesticide use in Viet Nam has more than tripled since 1990. However, pesticide legislation and regulations have not been developed in response to this large increase in usage, as a result of which pesticides pose a serious threat to human health and the environment. This paper identifies the need to improve pesticide regulations in Viet Nam through a comparative analysis of pesticide regulations in Viet Nam and the United States of America, where the rate of acute poisoning among agricultural workers is much lower than in Viet Nam and where information pertaining to pesticide regulations is made accessible to the public. The analysis identified several measures that would help to improve Viet Nam's pesticide regulations. These include enhancing pesticide legislation, clarifying the specific roles and active involvement of both the environmental and health sectors; performing a comprehensive risk-benefit evaluation of pesticide registration and management practices; improving regulations on pesticide suspension and cancellation, transport, storage and disposal; developing import and export policies and enhancing pesticide-related occupational safety programmes.
Centre for Environment and Population Health, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, 170 Kessel Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia. ptdzung70@yahoo.com
Dung Tri
DT
Phung
Des
D
Connell
Greg
G
Miller
Shannon
S
Rutherford
Cordia
C
Chu
D000383:Agriculture / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards; D033161:Government Regulation; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000592:standards; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards; D010575:Pesticides; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency; D014489:United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration; D014744:Vietnam
D010575:Pesticides