Development Status of Occupational Safety and Health Management System in China

Our country attaches great importance to the issue of occupational safety and health standardization at the beginning. In April 1995, my country sent representatives to participate in the ISO/OHS special working group, and respectively sent representatives to participate in the two OHS special working group meetings organized by ISO on June 15, 1995 and January 19, 1996. On March 8, 1996, my country established the "Occupational Safety and Health Management Standardization Coordination Group." A domestic seminar on OSHMS was held on June 13, 1996. More than 30 representatives from more than 20 ministries and directly affiliated enterprises including the former Ministry of Labor participated in the seminar.

　　 In 1998, the Chinese Society of Labor Protection Science and Technology put forward the "Occupational Safety and Health Management System Specifications and Guidelines" (CSSTLP1001: 1998). In October 1999, the State Economic and Trade Commission promulgated the "Trial Standards for Occupational Safety and Health Management System", and issued a notice to launch OSHMS pilot work in China.

In December 2001, the State Economic and Trade Commission in accordance with my country's occupational safety and health laws and regulations, combined with the experience gained by the State Economic and Trade Commission in promulgating and implementing the "Occupational Safety and Health Management System Trial Standards", refer to the ILO "Occupational Safety and Health Management System Guidelines" , Formulated and issued the "Guiding Opinions on Occupational Safety and Health Management System" and "Occupational Safety and Health Management System Audit Specifications", which further promoted the development of my country's occupational safety and health management in a scientific and standardized direction.

　　 The National Economic and Trade Commission’s "Guiding Opinions on Occupational Safety and Health Management System" stipulates that the State Administration of Work Safety is responsible for formulating, implementing and regularly reviewing national policies on the establishment and promotion of occupational safety and health management systems within the employment agency. In order to ensure the consistency of national policies and their implementation plans, relevant agencies should assume the following responsibilities in the framework of the occupational safety and health management system:

　　1. The State Administration of Work Safety is responsible for the unified management and macro-control of my country's occupational safety and health management system, ensuring the necessary collaboration between various agencies, and regularly reviewing the effectiveness of the occupational safety and health management system;

　　2. The Occupational Safety and Health Management System Inspection Steering Committee is responsible for guiding the national occupational safety and health management system inspection work. The steering committee has an occupational safety and health management system inspection agency, an accreditation committee and an occupational safety and health management system auditor registration committee, which are respectively responsible for the qualification approval of the inspection unit and the training, assessment and registration of the auditors;

　　3. The Safety Science and Technology Research Center of the State Economic and Trade Commission provides technical support for the national occupational safety and health management system,

Formulate audit specifications and implementation guidelines for the occupational safety and health management system;

　　4. The relevant departments of the State Council and the work safety supervision and management agencies of local governments shall promote the occupational safety and health management system within their respective responsibilities and in their respective regions;

　　5. Nationally recognized occupational safety and health service agencies assist employers in establishing and maintaining occupational safety and health management systems.