The Executive Yuan today passed amendments to the Labor Safety and Health Act to safeguard the basic rights of workers to a safe and healthy work environment. The revisions will be sent to the Legislature for deliberation.
Recent changes in Taiwan's industrial structure and social environment are putting workers at increasing risk of excessive fatigue, mental stress and new types of musculoskeletal disorders, said Premier Sean Chen. The Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) has therefore conducted an across-the-board review of the implementation and effects of the Labor Safety and Health Act, and proposed amendments to improve domestic working conditions and align Taiwan with occupational safety and health trends around the world.
The act, which came into effect April 16, 1974, was overhauled in 1991 but had not undergone any major revisions in the two decades since. The CLA is currently proposing the following amendments:
1. Rename the act the "occupational safety and health act." Expand its purview to include employed or self-employed workers, and those subject to the direction or supervision of a workplace manager. (Revise title and Articles 2 and 4)
2. With respect to hazardous machinery, equipment, tools and chemicals, establish control mechanisms at the source of the hazards. (Revise Articles 7 to 11 and Articles 13 and 14)
3. Overhaul the occupational hazard prevention system to guard employees' physical and mental health. (Revise Articles 6 and 12, and Articles 20 to 22)
4. Amend maternity regulations to protect new or soon-to-be mothers while ensuring their equal right to work. (Revise Articles 30 and 31)
5. Strengthen mechanisms to conduct routine evaluations of production safety in high-risk environments. Raise penalties for violations. (Revise Article 15 and Articles 40 to 49)
6. Promote a culture of safety and health in the workplace and develop related industries. (Revise Articles 36 and 50)