Injuries in the Workplace

In 2006, government statistics showed that there were 627,158 workplace injuries at a cost of US$12.5 billion in direct losses and US$25 billion in indirect losses. A 2007 study reported the gruesome finding that about 40,000 fingers are severed every year in the Pearl River Delta Region; about 300 clinics in Kai County, Sichuan Province, specialize in reattaching severed fingers and arms for returning migrants. Another study in the Pearl River Delta Region showed that of 259 injured workers, 210 reported finger injuries, 23 reported hand or wrist injuries, 11 reported arm injuries, and the rest had leg, foot, ankle, or other injuries. Ninety percent of all injuries were of workers' hands or arms, with severity ranging from cuts and burns to severe nerve damage, permanent paralysis, and the loss of entire digits and limbs. The most common injuries reported were broken or severed fingers on the dominant hand. Reports like these have helped bring about labor reforms in the area of work-related injuries.

In 2004, China put in place its Work-Related Injury Insurance Regulations, which cover work-related injuries, disability, or death, as well as occupational diseases. The scope of coverage is broad, including work-related accidents occurring before, after, and during work – even covering motor vehicle accidents that occur coming to and from work. Awards can include a lump sum payment or other subsidies, a pension, or living expenses. Remedies are exclusive, but the law permits a suit in tort for employer safety violations.