China's stricter workplace safety rules take effect from December

China's updated Workplace Safety Law will impose harsher penalties and punishments on offenders from today.

As at December 1, the amendment to the law stipulates fines ranging from 200,000 yuan (S$42,500) to 20 million yuan (S$425,000) for employers and enterprises found responsible for serious workplace accidents. The fines depend on the severity of the accident and resultant losses.

Managers of businesses who are found to have failed in their duty to ensure safety of workers can also be fined between 30% and 80% of their annual salary corresponding to losses, Xinhua reported.

Previously, fines were no more than 100,000 yuan or less than five times the income earned.

Managers of such enterprises who are found to have failed in their duty to ensure safety can be fined between 30% and 80% of their annual income corresponding to losses.

The revised law also states managers responsible for "serious" and "extremely serious" accidents will be banned from serving as principals in enterprises in the same industry.

According to the State Council issued regulations on work safety, a "serious accident" is defined as one causing 10 to 30 deaths, 50 to 100 serious injuries or direct economic losses of between 50 and 100 million yuan, Ecns.cn reported.

"Extremely serious accidents" are defined as those that kill more than 30 people, seriously injure 100, or result in over 100 million yuan in direct economic losses.

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