The government has always greatly valued the safety and health of workers and work environments, hence the Council of Labor Affairs' (CLA) Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has been striving for years to develop technologies to eradicate workplace health risks while guiding and consulting enterprises on hazard minimization, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said at today's Cabinet meeting.
"We have already witnessed concrete results of the IOSH's work, which has garnered international acclaim," noted the premier.
Jiang made these remarks after a CLA briefing on current and prospective occupational safety and health research and development (R&D).
"In order to enhance consciousness of labor and occupational safety rights, the IOSH has taken up the very important task of imparting such knowledge and skills at the grassroots level," the premier said. He asked the Ministry of Education to help promote occupational health and safety instruction and expressed hope that national standards in this field would rise through the cooperation of all parties.
The premier commended the CLA to continue its efforts and enjoined other related agencies to collaborate in promoting workplace safety and health technology.
The IOSH is devoted to surveying workplaces for hazards, improving relevant R&D and researching prevention of occupational diseases, stated the CLA. In connection with the administration's call for a reduction in job-related injuries, the institute has also assisted and consulted businesses on the subject.
Along with establishing and propagating work-related musculoskeletal disorder prevention techniques, the institute has assisted 300 business entities through ergonomics (also known as human-factors engineering), completing the remediation of over 1,200 cases.
The IOSH has also supported the Executive Yuan's SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) team, implemented management strategies for preventing depression and suicide by workers, and guided small and medium-sized enterprises to put greater emphasis on occupational safety. Over the past four years, the CLA has helped effectively reduce workplace incapacitations and injuries by 30 percent, reflecting the improvements that have been made.