The Investigation Of Occupational Health Service In Foreign-invested Enterprises In Kunshan, Jiangsu

Objective:To investigate the current situation and the main problems of occupational health service (OHS) and discuss the enterprises'wishes to utilize OHS, thus put forward reasonable suggestions and measures on promoting OHS and management in Foreign-invested enterprises in Kunshan.Methods:The questionnaire for occupational health status in Foreign-invested enterprises was referred to the questionnaire by Ministry of Health. The professionals carried out the field visting, asking the persons in charge and looking up concerned materials. Before investigation, all investigators were trained. All research data and materials are put into computer and built into database in EXCELs for statistics analysis after censored by the professionals. Annual monitoring data of occupational health were processed complying with national testing methods and the testing results were evaluated in accordance with the national standards.The data of acute occupational poisoning were archived according to the related regulations issued by Ministry of Health. Based on the data, poisoning cases, types and occupation distribution, etc, poisoning reasons were collected and analyzed.In the investigation of needs for OHS in Foreign-invested enterprises, an questionnaire of OHS needs were adopted, which included workers'needs for OHS, channels to getting information, knowledge,behaviors and wishes, etc. Before investigation, all investors have been trained. The investigation was processed in uniform standards and methods from one plant to another, from one worker to another. After the invested items were filled up, it was checked by the specially-assigned persons to ensure no omissions. The investigation materials were built into databases in EXCEL and analyzed by SAS9.1 software.Results:The occupational health status quo in Foreign-invested enterprises showed that electronic industry, one of the main industries in Kunshan, took the lowest percentage (7.5%) of workers who were exposed to the hazards of occupational diseases. However, the percentage of enterprises that existed hazards of occupational diseases was high about 49.5%.Chemical industry, taking a lower percentage in Foreign-invested enterprises of Kunshan. had the smallest number of stuff who were exposed to hazards of occupational diseases, however, it took the highest percentage in enterprises that had the hazards and the stuff who were exposed to the hazards.From the classifications of hazards of occupational diseases, stuff who were exposed to physical factors listed the top, taking 45.8%, And noise nuisance was the most common one. The second one was productive toxicant, taking 29.1%, with a large variety of toxicant and industries.The research also showed that a large number of enterprises had poor occupational diseases provision management.According to the monitoring statistics of occupational hazards in Kunshan, there was a increasing number of the monitoring enterprise. The average passing rate had increased from 60.26% in 1998 to 86.59% in 2008. Among the enterprises three types of foreign-funded enterprises, that is, Sino-foreign joint ventures, cooperative businesses, and exclusively foreign-owned enterprises, shared the highest passing rate of 88.33%, While, collective enterprises and township enterprises had lower rate.In terms of industrial distribution, electronic industry headed the list, and of enterprise distribution foreign-funded enterprises topped the list in the factors which resulted in the largest number of acute occupational poisoning accidents and people. In terms of toxicants resulting in acute poisoning, the mixture toxicant topped the list and chloroethylene and sulfureted hydrogen respectively resulted in the largest number of poisoning people and poisoning to dead people.In recent years, Kunshan authorities attached more importance to OHS and regarded occupational health surveillance as an important part of occupational disease prevention. Public health emergency management system had been initially set up. And great efforts were made in improving the emergence personnel's integrative competences.The investigation showed that enterprises with larger investment and size had comparatively complete occupational health management systems and 90.4% executives had realized that promoting occupational health was beneficial to enterprises'future development. The main reasons of promoting activities concerning occupational health were abiding by laws and regulations, protecting workers'health, preventing occupational diseases and creating a good working environment to improve efficiency. Executives and workers shared basically the same sources sequences in acquiring occupational health information.The investigation showed that executives knew notably more than workers in occupational health knowledge and behavior (p<0.001). Both had high wishes for OHS including occupational health surveillance, monitoring occupational hazards, technical guidance on occupational health, occupational health training, etc. Executives had lower wishes even than workers on hygienic evaluation or supervision. Workers were obviously unsatisfied with the labor protection conditions,2.44 times higher on dissatisfaction rate.Conclusions:Currently, OHS of Kunshan faced severe situation. There was a deep gap between OHS supply and demand, its quality and service area needed improving and expanding. The service ability of disease controlling organizations demanded upgrading. With the aim of enhancing occupational disease prevention level and promoting the equity of OHS and enabling each worker to have the right of enjoying OHS, the municipal government could adopt the government investment of buying service from OHS organizations and building up the mechanism of diversified competition in OHS market.