Tough new work safety law proposed

A draftamendmentto a workplace safety law would significantly increase punishmentsfor companiesthat violate regulations.

The amendmentispart of the government's latest effort to improve conditions for workers.

Among otherrules,the draft proposes that companies be fined up to 1 million yuan($163,000) ifthey use uncertified safety equipment in high-risk industriessuch as mining anddangerousgoods storage. The current fine is 50,000 yuan.

The draft,whichwas brought forward by the State Administration of Work Safety, wasreviewedfor the first round by the legislators during the bi-monthly session oftheStanding Committee of the National People's Congress that ended on Thursday.

In China, adraftlaw usually goes through three rounds of reviews before being adopted.

Under thedraftrule, work safety authorities would set up a database of infractionsbycompanies, and offenders could face restrictions on land use, investmentandbank services. If a company does not comply with regulations, authoritiescouldcut its electricity and force it to carry out its work safety duties.

Emergencyrescueteams should be established in key industries to improve response toaccidents,according to the draft.

YangDongliang,chief of the State Administration of Work Safety, told legislators onTuesdaythat the current work safety law, formulated in 2002, should be improvedtoaddress ongoing safety problems.

Supervision hasnotbeen effective enough, and the number of serious accidents remains large,Yangsaid.

Last year,therewere more than 270,000 accidents in which 2,549 people died, according totheadministration.

The number ofcasesfell by 8.2 percent and deaths by 3.5 percent, compared with 2012.

The amendmentwouldprovide more effective legal protection of workers, Yang said.

Huang Yi,spokesmanfor the administration, said on Feb 18 that the death rate for everymillionmetric ton of coal produced last year was 0.288, 10 times higher thanthe deathrate in developed countries.

Liu Tiemin,aprofessor of work safety at the China Academy of Safety Science andTechnology,said the amendment should specify the government's duties in detail.

The current lawisvague, which will hamper enforcement, Liu said.

On Nov 22,apipeline blast caused by an oil leak in Qingdao, Shandong province, claimed62lives. The explosion was China'sdeadliest pipeline blast since 2005.

Sixty-threepeoplewere penalized for the accident, 48 punished for violating Partyandadministrative discipline and 15 others transferred to judicial organsonsuspicion of criminal acts, Xinhua News Agency reported.

FromChina Daily.