According to media reports yesterday, after more than 200 workers at a battery manufacturer in Changzhou New District conducted self-organized physical examinations and found elevated blood lead levels, the local government, environmental protection, safety supervision, economic development, labor and other relevant departments attached great importance to the matter. They instructed the company to organize staff for comprehensive physical examinations from July 5 to 8 in four batches at the Changzhou CDC for blood lead and urine lead indicator tests, with timely release of related test results.
The deputy director in charge of Changzhou CDC, Mr. Lu, stated that the diagnosis would be based on GBZ188-2007 standards for reference in analyzing occupational chronic lead poisoning. According to the original plan, the company was supposed to complete the physical examinations of over 200 workers within three days, but due to some workers' concerns, only a small part of the workers completed the examination on the designated day. Mr. Lu recommended that workers go to the health center to participate in normal physical examinations.
Yesterday afternoon, the Changzhou New District Government sent out an agenda stating that the incident occurred at a Taiwan-funded enterprise within the North Industrial Park, which mainly produces lead-acid batteries. The company involved has more than 70 employees working in positions related to lead. Due to factors such as environmental protection standards and tax rebate policy adjustments, the company has now decided to start relocating, with the relocation expected to be completed by the end of this year. The Park Management Committee instructed the park's environmental protection, safety supervision, economic development, labor and other departments to actively hold special meetings and proposed five measures to address related issues:
First, immediate rectification. Second, quickly ascertain the truth. The Park Management Committee has instructed that from July 5 to 8, the alignment staff will go to the City CDC in four batches for comprehensive blood lead and urine lead indicator tests, with prompt disclosure of relevant test results to the media. Third, properly handle relevant conflicts; once authoritative medical reports are issued, if indeed there is excessive blood lead, regardless of the number of advisors, the park administration committee will hold parties strictly accountable and monitor the battery company to provide appropriate and reasonable compensation to employees. Fourth, continue to do a good job in preventing and controlling occupational hazards. Fifth, properly make a smooth job transition.
Recently, many patients have spontaneously come to check their blood lead levels at Changzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, shocking physicians. Over a hundred workers have come forward asking for blood lead level checks, and they are all workers from a battery company in Changzhou New District. Physical examinations revealed that the majority of workers had blood lead levels ranging from 280 micrograms per liter to 400 micrograms per liter. Physicians stated that normal blood lead levels in human bodies should be less than 100 micrograms per liter. Currently, local government departments have been involved in investigating the matter. Yesterday, arrangements were made for more than 200 workers to undergo further examinations at the local CDC.
Medical workers who voluntarily sought medical attention found elevated lead levels in their bodies.
Mr. Huang, a casual worker, said he worked at a Taiwanese-invested battery production company located in Chunjiang Town, Changzhou. Recently, he heard that the business was moving out, so the workers spontaneously went to Changzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital for medical examinations. The examination results left them very uncomfortable: their blood contained 400 micrograms of lead per liter, while doctors told them that normal blood lead levels in healthy bodies should be less than 100 micrograms per liter.
The correspondent then went to interview at Changzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital. More than 70 workers underwent blood tests, and upon examination, a large number of workers had blood lead levels ranging from 280 mg to 480 mg, with only one worker having normal blood lead levels. Most of them came from Henan, Sichuan, Anhui and other places, aged between 19 and 58, mostly young.
A female worker said that the medical workers found her blood lead level was 220 micrograms per liter.
Recently, the reporter went to Chunjiang Road in Changzhou New District, where this battery manufacturer is located, and found that the plant had already ceased operations, its aperture bankrupt, with the huge factory premises largely empty except for two security personnel.
The local government said it had asked companies to conduct further examinations with workers.
Correspondents reported the situation of workers coming to town to the Changzhou Chunjiang government regarding the relevant circumstances. Xuya Wei, the deputy administrator of the North Industrial Park, told reporters that the town government and relevant officials had made representations. Regarding the cause of the workers organizing themselves for examinations, Deputy Director Xu of the aggregation may not deal with the aftermath of workers after the removal of the current Spring Town Industrial Park. The government has asked business owners to strictly follow the labor relations between enterprises and workers. In addition, the company’s environmental protection department will also detect whether the land is contaminated. The reason for shutdown must be examined by the environmental protection department. There are workers reflecting the existence of pre-existing poisoning problems among workers, and environmental authorities require companies to stop production.
Regarding the incident, the first step is to pragmatically and scientifically ask employees for diagnosis; secondly, if the lead poisoning problems of workers do exist, enterprises should take active responsibility; again, relocating companies should appropriately handle labor relations according to the Labor Law. Previously, the company annually organized workers for medical examinations at the bounded CDC, but no abnormalities of excessive blood lead were found. Deputy Director Xu believes these workers should be tested at the Changzhou City CDC, as the department's test results are more authoritative. Finally, Deputy Director Xu said they will ask all workers to organize business owners for medical examinations at the Changzhou CDC. Reporters learned yesterday that this company has arranged more than 200 workers for added examinations at the local CDC.
Other four nearby lead-related industries are also involved in cut-off inspections.
Changzhou Production Safety Supervision Authority Fung Chi Ming said that after the accident, safety supervision departments paid great attention, while deploying audits to ensure compliance with industry safety laws and regulations. In addition to consistently monitoring test results, other related safety supervision departments conducted safety inspections in the lead sector. Worker lead poisoning involves a complete set of indicators, not just blood lead levels. The CDC's test results are authoritative. Changzhou CDC Director Lu also said that national laws and regulations related to the lead industry comprehensively explain lead poisoning, which is not an individual's clinical diagnosis but has complete professional standards. At present, disease control departments have arranged for some workers to be examined, but the results have not yet appeared. Identification of lead poisoning requires going through the recognized process.
It was reported that Changzhou New District has asked relevant departments to conduct additional inspections on four nearby lead-related industries involved, and through security analysis, the company can resume production. For the existence of environmental law violations, communities, and safety hazards, but verified enterprise behaviors, multiple sectors will severely punish severely. How the matter progresses, this newspaper will continue to focus on.
Zhou Meng Chang Chen Xinru