BINH DUONG (VNS)— More than 3,600 garment workers participated in Better Work Viet Nam's annual Safety Fun Run in southern province of Binh Duong on Sunday.

This is the fourth time the programme has organised the event, this year's focus being "Putting Fire Safety First". The event aims to strengthen the connection between employees, employers, buyers and the community to raise awareness of how to prevent fires in garment factories in the country.

In Viet Nam, there are roughly 1,677 fires each year, causing deaths and injuries to workers and major structural damage to enterprises. The most recent fire accident at a garment factory in northern province of Bac Giang damaged the factory and thousands of workers' vehicles.

The event was also an opportunity for participants to exchange and share experiences on how to take a preventative approach to fire safety. Workers received copies of a Better Work Viet Nam booklet on Fire Safety with basic instructions on how to prevent and fight fires at home and the workplace.

Better Work Viet Nam is part of the Better Work Global Programme, a partnership between the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Better Work Viet Nam seeks to improve working conditions of workers and promote sustainable competitiveness of Viet Nam's apparel industry. — VNS