title: Occupational health and safety challenges in China--focusing on township-village enterprises.
abstract: China has experienced dramatic industrialization, urbanization, and economic growth over the last 3 decades. The rapid transformation and dramatic prosperity of industries in rural areas have, in turn, created tremendous challenges for occupational health and safety (OHS). This article was prepared to address occupational health and safety issues in township- and village-owned enterprises (TVEs) from several aspects, including working conditions and workplace hazards, major recognized OHS problems, implications of TVE industries to environmental health, and migrant workers. Among the major recognized OHS problems, pneumoconiosis, chemical poisoning, and workplace accidents, especially in small-scale coal mines, are highlighted. It is suggested that the national polices and regulations that specifically target TVEs are indispensable and a more powerful administrative structure should be established to ensure that the pertinent polices, regulations, and OHS standards can be enforced widely and effectively in practice.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Primary Care at Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. xrwang@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Xiaorong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Siying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Qingkun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Lap-Ah
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.forename: Ignatius T S
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Tze-Wai
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Sian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Griffiths
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002681:China; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017751:Safety Management / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017132:Workplace / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*