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MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF VIETNAM |
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM |
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No. 56/2025/TT-BYT |
Hanoi, December 31, 2025 |
GUIDELINES ON MANAGEMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
Pursuant to the Law on Occupational Safety and Hygiene No. 84/2015/QH13;
Pursuant to the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15;
Pursuant to the Law on Social Insurance No. 41/2024/QH15;
Pursuant to Decree No. 42/2025/ND-CP dated February 27, 2025 of the Government of Vietnam on functions, tasks, entitlements, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam;
At the request of the Director of the Vietnam Administration of Disease Prevention;
The Minister of Health of Vietnam hereby promulgates the Circular on guidelines on the management of occupational diseases.
This Circular provides guidelines on the management of occupational diseases, including health check-ups for employees before job placement, medical examinations for occupational disease detection, and statistics and reporting on occupational diseases.
Article 2. Principles for conducting health check-ups for employees before job placement and detection of occupational diseases
1. Health check-ups for employees before job placement and detection of occupational diseases shall be conducted at medical establishments that have the scope of professional activities in occupational medical examination and treatment, and that have been granted an operating license in accordance with the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15.
2. Mobile health check-ups for agencies, organizations, and units shall be conducted in accordance with Article 79 of Law No. 15/2023/QH15 and Articles 82 and 83 of Decree No. 96/2023/ND-CP dated December 30, 2023 of the Government of Vietnam.
HEALTH CHECK-UPS BEFORE JOB PLACEMENT
Article 3. Persons subject to health check-ups before job placement
Persons subject to health check-ups before job placement are employees under the cases prescribed in Clause 3 Article 21 of the Law on Occupational Safety and Hygiene No. 84/2015/QH13.
Article 4. Dossiers for health check-ups before job placement
1. A letter of referral from the employer made in accordance with the form provided in Appendix I enclosed with this Circular. Where a workplace has a large number of employees required to undergo health check-ups before job placement, the employer shall prepare a list and fill in information on the occupation, intended job placement, and harmful factors at the workplace, and send it together with the letter of referral.
2. The pre-job-placement health check-up form, made in accordance with the form provided in Appendix II enclosed with this Circular.
Article 5. Contents of health check-ups before job placement
1. Health check-ups before job placement shall be conducted in accordance with the contents specified in the pre-job-placement health check-up form, provided in Appendix II enclosed with this Circular.
Where an employee has undergone periodic health check-ups, has been issued a health certificate, and such certificate remains valid in accordance with Circular No. 32/2023/TT-BYT dated December 31, 2023 of the Minister of Health of Vietnam, specialized medical examination shall be conducted in accordance with Clause 2 of this Article.
2. Depending on the employee’s job position, the medical practitioner providing occupational medical examination and treatment shall prescribe appropriate specialized medical examinations corresponding to the harmful factors present at the workplace.
3. Subclinical tests (including laboratory tests, diagnostic imaging, and functional exploration) shall be conducted as prescribed by the medical practitioner to ensure conformity with the harmful factors present at the workplace.
MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS FOR OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE DETECTION
Article 6. Persons entitled to medical examinations for occupational disease detection
Employees working in working environments involving exposure to factors posing a risk of occupational diseases, including those engaged in arduous, hazardous, or dangerous occupations or jobs, or particularly arduous, hazardous, or dangerous occupations or jobs, and employees exposed to other harmful factors in accordance with the law on occupational safety and hygiene, shall undergo medical examinations for occupational disease detection.
Article 7. Time for medical examinations for occupational disease detection
1. The time for medical examinations for occupational disease detection for employees specified in Article 6 of this Circular shall be 6 months after exposure to factors posing a risk of occupational diseases, in accordance with the law.
2. In cases where acute occupational disease is suspected, the time for medical examinations for occupational disease detection shall comply with the request of a competent authority, the employer, or the employee.
Article 8. Dossiers for medical examinations for occupational disease detection
1. Where the medical examination for occupational disease detection is organized by the employer or conducted at the request of a competent authority, the employer shall prepare the dossier for medical examinations for occupational disease detection for the employee, including:
a) The pre-job-placement health check-up form, made in accordance with the form provided in Appendix II enclosed with this Circular;
b) The medical examination record for occupational disease detection, made in accordance with the form provided in Appendix III enclosed with this Circular;
c) A valid copy of the results of working environment monitoring and occupational exposure assessment (extracted from the Working Environment Monitoring Report at the employee’s workplace), which remain valid.
Where acute occupational disease is suspected and the level of exposure to harmful factors at the time of occurrence has not yet been determined, a valid copy of the record certifying exposure to harmful factors causing acute occupational disease, made in accordance with the form provided in Appendix IV enclosed with this Circular, shall be required;
d) A valid copy of the hospital discharge paper or summary of the medical record related to the occupational disease (if any).
2. Where the employer fails to comply with the law on occupational safety and hygiene and an investigation of occupational disease is required, the record of occupational disease investigation shall be used instead of the documents specified in Points a, b, and c Clause 1 of this Article.
Article 9. Procedures and contents of medical examinations for occupational disease detection
1. Procedures for medical examinations for occupational disease detection:
a) Before the medical examination for occupational disease detection, the employer or employee shall submit a complete dossier as prescribed in Article 8 of this Circular to the medical establishment;
b) Upon receipt of the complete dossier, the medical establishment shall notify the employer or employee of the time, location, and other necessary information relating to the medical examination for occupational disease detection;
c) The medical examination for occupational disease detection shall be carried out in accordance with Clause 2 of this Article;
d) Upon completion of the medical examination period, the medical establishment shall complete the medical examination record for occupational disease detection and compile the results of the detection period in accordance with the form provided in Appendix V enclosed with this Circular;
dd) Where an occupational disease is diagnosed, the medical establishment shall prepare the occupational disease medical examination certificate in accordance with the form provided in Appendix VI enclosed with this Circular, and prepare a report on cases of employees suffering from occupational diseases in accordance with the form provided in Appendix VII enclosed with this Circular;
e) Within 20 days after organizing the medical examination for occupational disease detection, the medical establishment shall return the documents specified in Points d and dd Clause 1 of this Article to the employer or employee.
2. Contents of medical examinations for occupational disease detection:
a) Full collection of personal information, current health status, personal and family medical history, and the duration of exposure to harmful factors that may cause occupational diseases, for recording the occupational exposure history section in the medical examination record for occupational disease detection;
b) Commencement of medical examinations in full accordance with the guidelines on diagnosis and assessment of the degree of working capacity reduction due to occupational diseases promulgated by the Minister of Health of Vietnam;
c) Female employees shall undergo obstetrics specialized examinations in accordance with Appendix VIII enclosed with this Circular;
d) Where an employee has undergone a periodic health check-up, has been issued a health certificate, and such certificate remains valid in accordance with Circular No. 32/2023/TT-BYT, additional medical examinations shall be conducted in accordance with Point b of this Clause;
dd) For occupational diseases not included in the list of occupational diseases eligible for social insurance benefits, full specialized medical examinations shall be conducted as prescribed by the medical practitioner providing medical examination and treatment for occupational diseases, in accordance with the law on medical examination and treatment.
STATISTICS AND REPORTING ON OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
Article 10. Reporting regulations
The employer shall conduct reporting and statistics on occupational diseases in accordance with the contents of the annual periodic report on occupational safety and hygiene as prescribed in Circular No. 07/2016/TT-BLDTBXH dated May 15, 2016 of the Ministry of Labor – War Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam.
Article 11. Investigation of occupational diseases
1. Investigation of occupational diseases shall be conducted in one of the following cases:
a) There are multiple persons falling ill or contracting diseases at the same time at a workplace;
b) The results of monitoring harmful factors in the working environment (hereinafter collectively referred to as “monitoring”) exceed the permissible hygienic limits, but no employee is detected as having an occupational disease; or the workplace fails to conduct monitoring, or monitoring does not cover all harmful factors in the working environment; or the monitoring results do not exceed the permissible limits but there are employees suspected of having occupational diseases, or medical examinations for occupational disease detection are not conducted;
c) Re-investigation of occupational diseases or investigation of occupational diseases at the request of the social insurance authority;
d) Investigation of occupational diseases at the request of the employer;
dd) Investigation of occupational diseases related to the employee personally, where the applicable benefits have not yet been settled in accordance with the law on occupational safety and hygiene, at the request of the employee.
2. Composition of the occupational disease investigation mission:
a) The composition of a provincial occupational disease investigation mission shall be decided by the head of the provincial health authority, except for the case specified in Point c of this Clause, and shall include: A leader of the provincial health authority as Head of the mission; representatives of the provincial internal affairs authority; the provincial Central Committee of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front; the provincial social insurance authority; a physician authorized to conduct medical examination and treatment for occupational diseases in accordance with the law on medical examination and treatment;
b) The composition of a central occupational disease investigation mission shall be decided by the Minister of Health of Vietnam, except for the case specified in Point c of this Clause, and shall include: A leader of the Vietnam Administration of Disease Prevention as Head of the mission; representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Vietnam; the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front; Vietnam Social Security; a physician authorized to conduct medical examination and treatment for occupational diseases in accordance with the law on medical examination and treatment;
c) The composition of an occupational disease investigation mission established by the Minister of National Defense of Vietnam or the Minister of Public Security of Vietnam shall include: representatives of the health authority and the social insurance authority under the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam or the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam; a physician authorized to conduct medical examination and treatment for occupational diseases in accordance with the law on medical examination and treatment; other members as decided by the Minister of National Defense of Vietnam or the Minister of Public Security of Vietnam.
a) The provincial occupational disease investigation mission shall investigate occupational disease cases specified in Clause 1 of this Article falling under its management jurisdiction, except for the case specified in Point c of this Clause;
b) The central occupational disease investigation mission established by the Minister of Health of Vietnam shall investigate occupational disease cases involving complaints by organizations or individuals regarding investigation results conducted by provincial investigation missions, or at the request of a provincial investigation mission where the case exceeds its investigative capacity;
c) The occupational disease investigation mission established by the Minister of Public Security of Vietnam or the Minister of National Defense of Vietnam shall investigate occupational disease cases involving units under the management jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam or the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam.
Article 12. Time limit for investigation of occupational diseases
1. Time limit for investigation: Not exceeding 30 days from the effective date of establishment of the occupational disease investigation mission.
2. Where the investigation of occupational diseases is complex, and an extension is required, at least 2 working days before the expiry of the investigation time limit, the Head of the occupational disease investigation mission shall report to and seek approval from the authority that has decided the establishment of the investigation mission. The extended investigation period shall not exceed 10 working days.
Article 13. Procedures for investigation, preparation of records, and disclosure of records of occupational disease investigation
1. Procedures for investigation and preparation of records:
a) Examining the scene of the workplace;
b) Collecting physical evidence and documents related to occupational diseases (including sampling of harmful factors at the workplace for analysis and assessment as a basis for determining disease-causing factors);
c) Examining dossiers concerning the management of occupational hygiene, employee health, and occupational diseases of the workplace;
d) Conducting direct interviews with employees, employers, and other relevant persons involved in the management of occupational hygiene, employee health, and occupational diseases at the workplace;
dd) Organizing medical examinations and conducting necessary tests for cases where employees are suspected of having occupational diseases (if necessary);
e) Other contents as designated by the Head of the occupational disease investigation team, where necessary;
g) Preparing the record of occupational disease investigation in accordance with the form provided in Appendix IX enclosed with this Circular.
2. Disclosure of the record of occupational disease investigation:
Immediately after completion of the investigation, the occupational disease investigation mission shall organize a meeting to disclose the record of occupational disease investigation at the workplace subject to investigation.
Article 14. Occupational disease investigation dossier
1. The record of the workplace scene.
2. Relevant physical evidence and documents.
3. Dossiers concerning the management of occupational hygiene, employee health, and occupational diseases of the workplace.
4. Records of direct interviews with employees, employers, and other relevant persons involved in the management of occupational hygiene, employee health, and occupational diseases of the workplace.
5. Results of medical examinations and tests for cases where employees are suspected of having occupational diseases (if any).
6. The record of occupational disease investigation.
7. Other documents related to the occupational disease investigation process.
8. The retention period for the occupational disease investigation dossier, as prescribed by the law.
Article 15. Responsibilities of workplaces where occupational diseases occur
1. Compiling and making statistics on employees subject to occupational disease investigation.
2. Fully notifying employees of the occupational disease situation and preventive measures against occupational diseases.
3. Retaining the occupational disease investigation dossier in accordance with regulations.
4. Organizing a meeting to disclose the record of occupational disease investigation.
5. Implementing remedial measures and addressing consequences caused by occupational diseases; reviewing lessons learned; implementing and reporting on the implementation of recommendations stated in the record of occupational disease investigation; and handling, within jurisdiction, persons at fault for the occurrence of occupational diseases.
Article 16. Funding for activities of occupational disease investigation missions
1. Where the occupational disease investigation mission is established by a state management authority, its operating funding shall be covered by the state budget in accordance with the law.
2. Where the occupational disease investigation mission is established at the request of an organization or individual proposing an investigation, the operating funding of the occupational disease investigation mission shall be borne by the requesting organization or individual.
IMPLEMENTAITON RESPONSIBILITIES
Article 17. Responsibility of employees
1. Truthfully declare information on medical history and occupational exposure history during health check-ups.
2. Participate in health check-ups before job placement and medical examinations for occupational disease detection organized by the employer.
3. Fully comply with the guidance and medical examination and treatment instructions of the medical practitioner after each examination.
4. Retain health management dossiers in cases of resignation, termination of employment, or leave under statutory regulations (including occupational disease dossiers, reports on individual cases of employees diagnosed with occupational diseases, and documents related to examination and treatment at medical establishments) as a basis for examination, diagnosis, and assessment of occupational diseases if such diseases arise after cessation of exposure to harmful factors; transfer health management dossiers to the new authority in cases of transfer to another workplace.
Article 18. Responsibility of employers
1. Prepare and manage health management dossiers and occupational disease dossiers, and retain them throughout the period of employment of the employee at the unit; return health management dossiers and occupational disease dossiers (if any) to the employee when the employee transfers to another agency or resigns, terminates employment, or takes leave under statutory regulations.
2. Cooperate with medical establishments providing occupational medical examination and treatment in preparing plans and organizing health check-ups before job placement and medical examinations for occupational disease detection.
3. Provide employees with all documents prescribed in Clause 1 Article 8 of this Circular to enable them to undergo medical examinations for occupational disease detection proactively.
3. Facilitate employees’ access to treatment and functional rehabilitation in accordance with the law.
4. Complete dossiers and refer employees diagnosed with occupational diseases for medical assessment within 20 days after completion of treatment and functional rehabilitation, or after medical examinations for occupational disease detection regarding diseases that exceed treating capacity.
5. Improve working conditions and prevent and control occupational diseases; implement the regulations on occupational protective equipment and the regulations on in-kind allowances for employees in accordance with the law.
6. Arrange and assign work positions appropriate to the employees’ health conditions.
7. Provide full information and documents, and cooperate with the occupational disease investigation mission.
8. Report to the local health authority in accordance with the law on occupational safety and hygiene.
Article 19. Responsibilities of medical establishments providing occupational medical examination and treatment
1. Cooperate with employers, upon request, in developing plans and conducting health check-ups before job placement and medical examinations for occupational disease detection in accordance with regulations.
2. Organize consultations on occupational diseases (where necessary) in accordance with the law on medical examination and treatment, and take legal liability for occupational disease diagnosis results.
3. Participate in medical assessment councils at all levels for the assessment of occupational diseases (upon request).
4. Develop, update, connect, and share data from the occupational disease database with the national health database, in accordance with the law, for the contents specified in Clause 3 Article 21 of this Circular.
Article 20. Responsibilities of People’s Committees of provinces
1. Direct agencies, units, enterprises, and cooperatives to implement health check-ups before job placement, medical examinations for occupational disease detection, and to organize investigations of occupational diseases within their assigned management scope.
2. Direct periodic inspections or ad hoc inspections of the activities of medical establishments providing occupational medical examination and treatment.
3. Direct reporting activities in accordance with the law on occupational safety and hygiene.
Article 21. Responsibilities of Vietnam Administration of Disease Prevention
1. Direct and organize the implementation of health check-ups before job placement, medical examinations for occupational disease detection, and the statistics and reporting on occupational diseases nationwide; inspect and supervise activities related to health check-ups before job placement and medical examinations for occupational disease detection, and propose to competent authorities the handling of violations in accordance with the law.
2. Develop and update the occupational disease database within the national health database relating to medical examination and treatment and functional rehabilitation, including the following information:
a) Names of medical establishments granted operating licenses for occupational medical examination and treatment, or medical establishments whose scope of professional activities has been expanded to include occupational medical examination and treatment;
b) Names of agencies, units, and enterprises having employees diagnosed with occupational diseases;
c) Names of diagnosed occupational diseases;
d) Number of employees diagnosed with occupational diseases, classified by occupational diseases eligible for social insurance benefits.
3. Direct the Ministry of Health of Vietnam’s affiliates to develop content and organize training concerning occupational diseases.
4. Take charge and cooperate with relevant units in guiding the implementation of this Circular.
1. This Circular comes into force as of February 15, 2026.
2. Circular No. 28/2016/TT-BYT dated June 30, 2016 of the Minister of Health of Vietnam shall cease to have effect from the effective date of this Circular.
Article 23. Reference provisions
Where any document referred to in this Circular is replaced, amended, or supplemented, comply with its new edition.
Article 24. Transitional provisions
Employees suffering from occupational diseases whose occupational disease dossiers have been established under Circular No. 28/2016/TT-BYT shall continue to use such dossiers for conducting medical assessment of the degree of working capacity reduction due to occupational diseases.
During the implementation of this Circular, any arising difficulty shall be promptly reported to the Ministry of Health of Vietnam (Vietnam Administration of Disease Prevention) for study, consideration, and resolution./.
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PP. MINISTER Nguyen Thi Lien Huong |
