Time for OSHA in China

China reports gas blast kills 42

Thursday, December 22, 2005; Posted: 11:27 p.m. EST (04:27 GMT)

BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- A gas blast at a construction site in China's southwestern province of Sichuan has killed at least 42 people, state media said on Friday, the latest statistic in a grim series of workplace disasters.

Eleven were injured in the explosion on Thursday in a highway tunnel under construction between the cities of Dujiangyan and Wenchuan. Most of the victims were construction workers, the report said.

The exact number of casualties was unclear, with search and rescue operations still under way.

China is known for its poor workplace standards, as pressure to mine resources and build roads and other infrastructure to keep pace with the demands of the world's fastest-growing major economy leads to compromises on safety.

Its mining industry is the world's deadliest, claiming some 6,000 lives last year.

Li Yizhong, director of the State Administration of Work Safety Supervision, was to give the results of a government investigation into recent coal mine accidents later on Friday.

The International Labour Organisation estimated the number of fatal workplace accidents in China in 2001 at more than 90,000.

www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/12/22/china.gas.reut/index.html

90,000 fatal workplace accidents a year?!?!

Thins the herd a little.

Keep crunching, they'll make more

Coal Mining Accidents- major Chinese national sport.

Quoted: 90,000 fatal workplace accidents a year?!?!

Thats just a drop in the bucket when you have 1.5 billion or more people.

... USA : OSHA

... China : OSHIT

Quoted: Quoted: 90,000 fatal workplace accidents a year?!?! Thats just a drop in the bucket when you have 1.5 billion or more people.

1,306,313,812 (July 2005 est.) to be exact.

Quoted: ... USA : OSHA ... China : OSHIT

Ops

Since they're pretty close to slave labor, the  "compromises on safety" doesn't suprise me in the slightest.

I hope that the folks over there doing the work will get fed up with the lax saftey & demand better protection for their own sakes.


Let me know when companies move to Africa (after China/India laborers get "too expensive").

Different societies and different cultures place different values on aspects of thier society.  While Chinese industrial accidents may have a profound effect on the families, it rarely appears on the government's radar screen.

SRM

My Halliburton Industrial Accident Machine is working better than planned!  (evil laugh)Muhahahahahahhaahahaha! Muahahahahhaahahahahahaha!(evil laugh off)

Quoted: ... USA : OSHA ... China : OSHIT

They need to unionize!

For some strange reason I see Chuck Norris involved in this meyhem!!!