Chinese Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and the frequency of temporary and dynamic operations conducted by businesses and organizations for annual maintenance, cleaning and other urgent tasks is on the rise. As a result, the likelihood of occupational accidents and risks associated with overwork is also relatively higher. In order to reinforce disaster prevention measures during the year-end and Chinese New Year periods, the MOL officially launched the 32-day-long "Enforcement program for enhancing labor inspection during the Chinese New Year security period" on Jan. 13, 2017. MOL hopes to supervise and urge businesses and organizations to enforce various disaster-prevention mechanisms as well as abide by related regulations on overwork prevention through measures such as enhanced inspection, promotion and guidance.
According to the MOL, businesses tend to be extremely busy at year end and during the Chinese New Year holiday period. Employers nevertheless cannot afford to overlook the importance of labor safety and sanitary measures and prevention against overwork. For example, petrochemical and chemical plants should enhance the management of hazardous substances and hot work; construction projects should implement disaster prevention against the collapse of construction scaffolding and struts; annual factory maintenance operations should be conducted in strict compliance with approach control and undertaking management in order to prevent harm and injury. In addition to enhanced labor inspection and promotion during the Chinese New Year security period, all labor inspection units shall distribute instructions on the newly amended Labor Standards Act as well as the autonomous inspection chart for labor conditions to help businesses fully implement the updated laws and regulations.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, MOL, labor inspection is merely the last line of defense; it is the duty of employers to pay better attention to the job safety and labor conditions of their employees. The Administration also reminds employers to ensure that their safety management is enhanced so that workers can return home safely to their new year family reunions.