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China to Enact Law Preventing Occupational Diseases
Employers in China must do more to prevent occupational diseases by a national law expected to be promulgated at the end of this year, according to the Ministry of Health.
Su Zhi, a division chief of the Department of Law and Supervision of the ministry and a co-author of the law, was quoted by China Daily as saying that the law on prevention and control of occupational diseases focuses on protecting workers' health rights.
When any employer opens a factory in China, occupational health facilities should be constructed as well, the draft law says.
In recent years, an increasing number of acute workplace poisoning accidents have been reported, especially in small and medium-sized township enterprises where many farmers-turned- workers are employed.
Cases of acute poisoning in township firms reached almost 36 percent in 1999, according to official statistics. The exact figure on poisoning cases over the past two years are not available, but a survey of the ministry showed several thousand people have been poisoned and several hundreds die each year.
"According to the law, employers who cause the poisoning accidents will be asked to pay for victims and will be punished," Su added.
Su said that the ministry will set up a health record this year for all workers. Firms must regularly do health examination for workers with the help of legal occupational disease control centers.
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