Occupational health and safety issues are of course not new to China. However, the dramatic economic and social changes occurring over the last 30 years are unprecedented. No country has ever industrialized as fast as China. No country has ever faced as many new types of industries and hazards in such a short time. No country has ever experienced such a rapid transition from rural agricultural to urban industrial living. This industrialization is thus just now beginning to receive rigorous and sustained examination in terms of its impact on environmental and occupational health.
The main law that covers OHS standards is called the Safe Production Law (PRC), and its ninety-seven provisions attempt to cover the broad range of worker-related issues and legal liabilities. Enterprises whose operations involve exposure to highly toxic substances must be licensed by governmental health authorities. Statutorily, the Chinese workers now have several layers of protection.
Occupational health and safety (OHS) is one of the key issues encountered by migrant workers working in the cities of Southern China. The lack of education and training increases the risk of the workers in suffering from work accidents and occupational disease. Lack of work safety awareness, undeveloped infrastructure, and loopholes in management and strict supervision have resulted in a continuing cycle of accidents and a high prevalence of occupational disease, causing great losses in terms of both lives and assets.
China implemented an occupational disease prevention law in May 2002. The law requires that employers provide information related to occupational health and health monitoring and protection when necessary to help facilitate the diagnosis and verification of occupational diseases. Under Chinese law, sufferers of occupational diseases are entitled to compensation. Also, workers exposed to the risk of occupational diseases are entitled to subsidies.
But in practice, these protections are seldom effective. The various laws and regulations seem to recognize that workers must have certain protections from a market economy because the law emphasizes protecting workers' health by creating employer liability for occupational health harms. However, as the Chinese government continuously takes actions to improve health and safety issues, laws and regulations can be expected to become more stringent.
Back to The 10 most important things to know about labor conditions in South China
Back to main page: South China Labor Conditions Report