8-5 PREVENTION OF OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES AND PROTECTION OF THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT IN THE MINING INDUSTRY

8-5

Project Scope and Relationship to China's Agenda 21

This project seeks to establish a comprehensive national strategy and program for the prevention of occupational diseases and the protection of the working environment in China's mining industry. This project was developed in accordance with programme area 9B of China's Agenda 21 -- Minimizing the impact of Environmental Pollution on People's Health -- and will contribute to the sustainable use of mineral resources and the participation of workers in sustainable development (programme areas 14G and 20D).

1. Background

Occupational diseases caused by high levels of mining dust and other toxic substances, unhealthy working conditions, inadequate protective equipment and lack of proper training are seriously threatening the health and lives of workers in China's mining industry. Nearly half a million workers have been infected with silicosis in the last forty-five years, equalling the total number of pneumoconiosis cases in the world during the same time period. About 200,00 new cases are added each year. Thousands of cases of acute occupational poisoning are reported each year. Nearly 20 percent of all workers in some China's coal mines over the age of 40 suffer from occupational diseases.

The cost of treating these occupational diseases, which has been estimated at 7 billion yuan annually (roughly US $800 million), has had a major impact on China's economy. Some enterprises have even had to close down production because they cannot afford to support the number of skilled workers that have retired due to occupational disabilities. The large number of occupational diseases cases has in turn led to a number of serious social problems.

China has begun to take steps to confront this urgent situation. It has established national institutes for labor protection and occupational health as well as corresponding institutes at the provincial and city levels. It has conducted research and several pilot projects on occupational health and safety, which were listed as key projects during the last three Five-Year Plans (1980-1995). Assisted by UNDP and ILO, China is preparing to establish a national training center for occupational safety and health as well as a national monitoring center.

Yet much more work needs to be done in order to expand this work into a national strategy and programme for the prevention, control and treatment of occupational disease and protection of the working environment. China is now seeking international cooperation and assistance in order to draft a comprehensive set of laws, regulations and standards; set up an effective program of compliance and enforcement; perfect the system for monitoring and evaluation of pollution levels, workers' exposure and occupational hazards; strengthen the capability of medical organizations for diagnosis and treatment; develop simple and effective protective equipment and other technical measures; survey and analyze the extent of the problem and develop a database and a computer forecasting system; and expand the training program.

2. Objectives

• Long-term Objectives
  • Develop and implement a national strategy and programme for the prevention and control of occupational diseases and the protection of the working environment in China's mining industry. Apply safety and prevention principles at every stage of the mining process. Reduce the occurrence of occupational diseases in the mining industry by 50 percent, limit occupational accidents indirectly, and reduce the annual economic costs of occupational diseases.

• Immediate Objectives
  • Through survey, research and analysis, develop a thorough understanding of the types, distribution and severity of existing occupational hazards and occupational diseases, as well as the relationship between them; the efficiency of existing preventive measures; and future trends.
  • Develop a comprehensive regulatory, monitoring and enforcement system for the prevention and control of occupational diseases in various mining industries.
  • Improve existing methods and equipment for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of occupational diseases.
  • Develop and implement a standardized nationwide training system for both administrators and workers to increase understanding of worker safety and ensure compliance with applicable requirements.

• 3.1 Draft and promulgate a comprehensive system of laws, regulations and standards for the prevention of occupational diseases and protection of the working environment.
  • Develop standards and requirements for protection against different types of occupational hazards in the coal, metallurgical, chemical and building materials industries.
  • Promulgate regulations for monitoring, inspection, enforcement and worker training.

• 3.2 Establish an effective program at every level of government to supervise and enforce compliance with regulatory requirements.
  • Hire and train a sufficient number of inspectors and provide the necessary equipment.

• 3.3 Strengthen and perfect the monitoring and evaluation system for occupational diseases in the mining industry.
  • Establish and strengthen national and provincial level monitoring centers for labor protection and city level monitoring stations to monitor pollution levels in various mining industries, evaluate workers' exposure levels and determine the severity of occupational hazards.
  • Formulate standardized methods for measurement and evaluation.

• 3.4 Strengthen the establishment of national, provincial and city level medical organizations concerned with occupational diseases.
  • Raise the technical level and comprehensive capability for diagnosis and treatment of occupational diseases.

• 3.5 Develop and apply simple and effective protective measures, such as masks, to reduce the occupational hazard in the working environment.
  • Develop effective protective measures and technologies for dust control.
  • Develop effective protective measures and technologies for control of toxic substances, including inorganic toxic such as lead and organic substances such as diesel emissions.
  • Develop effective protective measures for noise and vibration control.

• 3.6 Survey and analyze the types, distribution and severity of occupational hazards in various mining industries.
  • Create a data base regarding occupational hazards in the coal, metallurgical, chemical and building material industries.
  • Explore the relationship between the rate of occupational diseases, such as pneumoconiosis, occupational poisoning and deafness, and the concentration and compositions of harmful substances in the working environment.
  • Study the principles of occupational disease development.
  • Develop computer simulation systems to forecast trends in occupational diseases.
  • Establish two or three pilot projects in each of the following areas: dust control, toxic substances control and noise control.
  • Select 2-5 departments to participate in each of the pilot projects and disseminate the results to similar areas and industries.

• 3.7 Develop and implement a standardized nationwide training system for both administrators and workers to increase understanding of worker safety and ensure compliance with applicable requirements.
  • Strengthen the national and provincial centers for occupational health and expand their services.
  • Train inspectors as well as the occupational health monitoring officials at each enterprise for compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
  • Gradually establish a standardized training system for occupational safety and health.

    The project duration will be for five years. This Project will be implemented by the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Coal Industry, the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry, the Ministry of Chemical Industry, and the Ministry of Construction.

• 4.1 Chinese Inputs
  • Project administration
  • Travel and accommodations for personnel involved in the project
  • Office facilities and equipment
  • Science, technology, statistical data and special knowledge available from existing international projects
  • Training on techniques and administration of occupational safety and health

• 4.2 International Cooperation
  • Relevant science, technologies, statistical data and research results
  • necessary equipment and communication facilities
  • Training on advanced international techniques and experience in the field of occupational safety and health
  • International experts

• 4.3 Budget
  • Total funding for the project is US $4.4 million.

This project will benefit thousands of workers in China's mining industries by establishing a national strategy and programme for the prevention of occupational diseases and the protection of the working environment. The development and enforcement of standards, practices and effective protective measures could greatly improve worker health at low cost, with the concomitant benefits of increased enterprise production and worker efficiency. If the rate of occupational diseases could be reduced by 50 percent, it would save China RMB 500 million yuan each year. This project would also contribute to the achievement of the World Health Organization's goal of "Health for All by the Year 2000."