There are several laws promoting occupational safety in the People’s Republic of China, which will continue to increase in importance along with worker education and expectations. Employees and employers should be aware of their rights and obligations under these laws. Foreign companies should be especially aware of these regulations and the expectations they place on employers, as foreign companies are often more susceptible to costly enforcement measures.
The
Labor Law of the People’s Republic of China
provides general safety guidelines. Article 52 of this law provides that, “The employer shall establish and perfect its system for labor safety and sanitation” and should, “educate laborers in labor safety and sanitation” and “prevent occupational hazards.”
Article 54 states, “The employer shall provide laborers with labor safety and sanitation conditions meeting State stipulations and necessary articles of labor protection, and carry out regular health examination for laborers engaged in work with occupational hazards. “
Article 56 states that “Laborers should strictly follow rules on safe operation in the process of labor.” This article additionally gives laborers, “The right to refuse to follow orders if the management personnel of the employer direct or force them [employees] to work in violation of regulations, and [employees] have the right to criticize, expose and accuse any acts endangering the safety of their life and physical health.
The
Labor Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China
governs the formation of the employment relationship through contract.
Article 8 provides that, “The Employer shall truthfully advise the employee of the scope of work and the working conditions” including “occupational hazards” and “production safety conditions.”
Article 32 guarantees that, “The refusal of an employee to perform dangerous tasks [requested by the employer’s management] shall not be deemed as a breach of the [labor] contract.”
Article 38 protects an employee that terminates a labor contract due to an employer’s failure to provide “work protection or working conditions as stipulated in the contract” or when an “Employer forces or instructs an employee to perform dangerous tasks which would endanger his [or her] personal safety.”
Article 88 states that, and employer which, “orders and employee to perform a dangerous task,” or “provides poor working conditions or a severely polluted environment, resulting in serious damage… to the employee” shall be subject to administrative punishment and, “if the employee suffers any harm or loss as a result thereof, the Employer shall be liable for damages.”
The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Prevention and Treatment of Occupational Diseases
presents specific measures designed to promote long-term employee health in potentially dangerous occupations. Without going into specific detail, it is enough to know that this law places much of the responsibility for providing a workplace safe from threats of Occupational diseases on the employer. The employer is required to implement safety measures, educate employees, and to provide industrial insurance to cover such risks to at risk employees, such as those exposed to dusts, radioactive or toxic materials, and dangerous substances.
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