Saigon day 2

Today’s experience differed vastly from our first day. Rather than spending the majority of our time at UEF we ventured off into the industrial district to experience our first site tour. We toured a very popular manufacturing plant known as TTT Corp. While on site I experienced many shocking events and a very “interesting” workplace environment. As a westerner we are used to OSHA and many workplace policies regarding safety. The factory, while very clean and organized, did not seem to have safety as the number one priority as it is in the states. We came across many people painting with spray guns while wearing normal face coverings  or N-95s. For those who may not understand the issue, aerosol paint sprayers can give off small particles of contaminants that can seep through these masks and into the lungs causing medical issues. In America we have mandates that require proper painting filtering masks when using large volumes of spray paint. I do understand that this is a different country and being such it has its own set of rules and regulations, it was just a little bit shocking to see up close. All the culture shock aside, it did feel that TTT is working toward a more sustainable future. The main component used in their work is wood for their furniture, rather than using a synthetic substitute they use mainly wood and varnish to make their furniture planning for a sustainable future. Along with that they focus on adhering to the VOC guidelines which outlines what and how many chemicals they can put in their products.