Beijing has been conducting a year-long survey on occupational
diseases in 12 sectors in the Beijing municipal area, according to
the municipal bureau of work safety.
Targeted sectors include coal mining, mining and processing of
metallic or non-metallic ores, leather-making, construction, news
publishing and printing, according to Zhang Shusen, deputy director
of the bureau.
The official said the society underestimated the seriousness of
occupational diseases, and the damage they do, because they tend to
be hidden and their period of latency is often long. Only 3,000
enterprises, involving 114,000 employees, had made reports about
occupational diseases and related hazards for the year ending
June30, 2005, said Zhang.
Thirteen people died and 66 others fell ill in 29 cases of acute
occupational poisoning between 2003 and 2005 in Greater
Beijing.
"We intend to build an information database on occupational
diseases and hazards in designated sectors and provide relevant
government departments with information they can act on," said the
official.
The survey began this month and will last until next
December.
(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2006)