Viet Nam’s safety standards have improved backed by strong economic growth and recent regulatory reforms, according to a new safety index released by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) in HCM City on Tuesday.

Countries are assessed based on three measurable drivers of safety: institutional drivers like economics, education, governance and technology; safety frameworks including safety regulations and infrastructure; and safety outcomes including unintentional injuries.

The report said Viet Nam’s safety index value had steadily improved since 2000.

“The country fared relatively well in safety frameworks compared to other ASEAN nations largely due to recent laws enacted to enhance occupational safety and health,” it said.

The UL safety index places Viet Nam sixth among the 10 ASEAN nations in terms of overall safety with a value of 62 out of 100.

Viet Nam exhibited comparatively moderate safety outcomes as the number of accidental injuries, while still at a low rate, have only marginally decreased over the years.

Transport injures, falls, drowning and miscellaneous incidents continue to be the main challenge in Viet Nam, making up the majority of unintentional injures, it said.

UL is a global safety science company. Its index is the quantification of the relative state of safety in nearly 190 countries around the world. Based on societal drivers and outcomes related to unintentional injury, the index measures the contributions of national resources and institutions, safety systems and frameworks and safety outcomes. — VNS