China moves to curb workplace accidents
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-04-25 22:43
In a move to improve work site safety, China's lawmakers are considering
making it easier to press criminal charges against people who are held
responsible for industrial accidents.
The revised penal law submitted to the legislature for deliberation on
Tuesday, proposes to broaden the definition of crimes related to work-place
safety so that more people found responsible for causing fatal accidents could
be charged with negligence.
The crime can lead to imprisonment of up to seven years.
The current law allows only employees of firms and public organizations to be
charged with work-place safety crimes.
"We made the change as many offenders are individuals not belonging to any
firm or public organization," said Zhou Shenren, deputy director of legislative
committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), or the top legislature.
Zhou said the draft also allows for supervisors to be charged for failing to
report accidents or attempting to cover them up. Serious offenders can be
sentenced up to seven years in jail.
China's coal mines are among the most deadly work sites in the world. Nearly
6,000 people were killed in over 3,341 coal mine accidents last year. Negligence
and lacks management are believed to be the major causes behind the accidents.
The revised law also raises the maximum incarceration for people who coerce
others to work in unsafe conditions that lead to fatal accidents from seven
years to ten years.
"These are crimes of negligence. They occur due to a headlong pursuit of
profits." said Huang Taiyun, a lawmaker with the NPC.
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