On May 11, Shenzhen Bao'an District Health Bureau gave a briefing on the media report that workers in Watson Electric Machinery Factory were identified as occupational tumors (benzene-induced leukemia). The briefing pointed out that there were 5 cases of leukemia in Watson Electric Machinery Co., Ltd. and all of them completed the diagnosis of occupational diseases. The company was fined a total of 105,000 yuan in 2015 and 2017 for failing to conduct occupational health checks on employees.
The full text of the briefing is as follows:
Recently, some media reported that some workers in Huasheng Electric Machinery Factory were identified as "occupational tumors (benzene-induced leukemia)". On May 9, the municipal, district and street health departments launched a joint investigation on the incident. According to the investigation, the sick worker is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dechang Electrical Machinery Industry Manufacturing Co., Ltd., which belongs to a Hong Kong-funded enterprise. In the past 10 years from 2010 to 2017, the total number of employees has accumulated about 300,000. There are 5 cases of leukemia, 3 males and 2 females. Five patients were distributed in five different workshops and belonged to different types of work. Their working years ranged from 2 to 16 years. As of May 10, 2019, each of the five persons had completed the process of occupational disease diagnosis and identification. The final results of the Guangdong Occupational Disease Diagnosis and Identification Committee were: "Occupational Tumors (Benzene-Induced Leukemia)". Except that Wang Mou's condition is not suitable for transplantation, the other 4 people have completed bone marrow transplantation.
In accordance with the requirements of the occupational disease prevention and control norms, the district occupational health supervision department has regularly carried out law enforcement inspections on the company and asked it to issue occupational health inspection and evaluation reports. In February and July 2015, the company was fined a total of 55,000 yuan for failing to carry out occupational health checks and establish an occupational health system in accordance with the regulations. In May 2017, the company was fined 50,000 yuan for failing to carry out occupational health checks in accordance with the regulations. At present, the company has implemented the system and measures of organizing annual occupational health check-ups, regularly testing occupational hazards in the workplace, establishing a system of approval for the use of chemicals, chemical composition analysis, no use of benzene chemicals, and hazard assessment of personal protective articles for employees.
After workers were diagnosed as "occupational tumors (benzene-induced leukemia)", various functional departments and streets actively coordinated and actively intervened to help sick workers identify occupational diseases, organize donations, coordinate enterprise trade union loans to solve treatment costs. At present, four sick workers have completed the work-related injury identification and social insurance compensation according to law. Among them, three workers who underwent bone marrow transplantation have received the corresponding medical expenses compensation from the company. The medical expenses of one worker who is not suitable for bone marrow transplantation have been paid by the company. At the same time, the company also provided 4 sick workers with assistance ranging from 8855 yuan to 41200 yuan through the trade union. In addition, a sick worker has just come out with the final result of occupational disease appraisal in the province, and the related work injury appraisal, social insurance compensation and enterprise medical expenses compensation are being actively implemented in accordance with the procedures.
