China has been taking the health and safety of its workers seriously, according to the 7th International Forum on Work Safety in Beijing, China. The country’s renewed efforts to reduce the terrible toll of workplace injury and ill health have been welcomed by the British Safety Council, which advocates that a world leading economy that is also a safe and healthy one would transform regional and global attitudes to safety at work.
Speaking at the forum, Alex Botha, chief executive, British Safety Council said, “The general consensus is that China is improving its record on occupational safety and health. The British Safety Council welcomes that, while emphasising that with fatal injuries still in their tens of thousands each year, China has a long way to go."
These improvements are the result of political leadership that over a decade ago saw ‘safe development’ written into China’s national plans. In particular, 2002 saw the introduction of two new laws that improved the regulatory framework, along with the first International Forum on Work Safety.
Botha added, “This combination of a robust and improving regulatory framework to set standards and penalise wrong-doers, along with forums for business, health and safety professionals and government officials to exchange experience on prevention is the right one… With its influence, China can encourage all parts of the world to save lives and eliminate costs, both human and financial.”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
