In the good ole' USA, construction people are very aware of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Admiinistration (OSHA), and the various state agencies regulating worker safety. On the whole, these agencies and the construction industry together have positively raised worker safety standards and undoubtedly saved many lives. Similarly, our utility agencies have developed very strong safety standards.
Although I have seen no evidence yet of similar agencies here in Việt Nam, I do see an emphasis on worker safety on large construction sites. However, there are some practices here to ponder -- such as this plasterer hanging off the side of a new five-story house in my neighborhood of Thành Phố (City) Hồ Chí Minh.
He is wearing a belt attached to the ladder so he can swing out wide to apply this final finish coat of hard plaster, but...gotta have a lot faith in bamboo (the ladder hanging from the roof parapet).
Similarly, I have been pondering the electical power (220-volt) connection to my house and my neighbors. In the U.S., there are very strict utility rules that place high-voltage lines very high above houses or building, or gets them underground. Connections to houses are always in inaccessible places. This is the connection to my house here in HCMC -- I can reach out and touch (if so inclined to fry myself) the connection a foot away from my balcony railing.
Notice that the power lines acoss the lane to the power pole go within reaching distance from my neighbor's balcony.
The connections to my neighbors across the street are similarly accessible.
Architectural photography in Việt Nam is very difficult with all of the power and telecommuncations lines strung along and across the streets and lanes. Here is a switch box on Đường (Street) Phan Đăng Lưu feeding the mess.
