Lessons from the Tianjin explosion
- By Eugene Clark
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E-mail China.org.cn, August 19, 2015
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[By Jiao Haiyang/China.org.cn] |
Wednesday the 19th of August is World Photography Day and a reminder of how photographic images have, in our recent history, ignited the world's imagination, fuelled passion about issues and strengthened resolve for reform. That being said, I would hope that the images of the recent chemical explosions in Tianjin and the pictures of over 100 horrific deaths, injuries and the resulting toxic fumes will encourage Chinese businesses, citizens and the government to become more committed to improving China's safety record.
China's President Xi Jinping has rightly pointed to the need to learn the "extremely profound lessons" from this incident. The State Council has announced it will conduct an inspection of all businesses using dangerous chemicals. The Public Security Minister indicates that those responsible for this incident will be determined and punished.
Workplace safety is important for many reasons, including company morale, as well as brand and reputation. Though slowly improving, workplace safety remains a serious problem in China. According to the Bureau of Statistics, workplace deaths approached 70,000 in 2014. In stark contrast are figures from the U.S. which has only a small fraction of that number.
Among the lessons to be learned from the Tianjin picture are the following:
The need to develop a culture of safety in the workplace
A focus on safety requires a commitment of leadership from the top to develop a "culture of safety" in the workplace. If leaders and managers are taking safety culture seriously, so will everyone else. Everyone in the organization should receive training about safety. Safety performance should be monitored. Good performance in safety should be rewarded and celebrated. Those in charge of safety should document the fact that safety contributes to the long-term economic success of the organization. In other words, achieving a high performing safety culture in the workplace should be seen as an investment with a high rate of return and not merely as a "cost."
Safety must also come from the bottom up
I remember a wonderful security guard at the Charlotte School of Law. When it was raining and the floor was wet, he had the warning signs out and would call out to me as I rushed into work, "Slow down, Dean -- we want to keep you safe and sound." I deeply appreciated his commitment to safety. Imagine how many slip and fall injuries and resulting insurance and legal claims this man saved.
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