Forthcoming amendments would seek to increase maximum fines for creating an unsafe work environment from NT$300,000 to NT$1.5 million (US$9,301 to US$465,065) in the hope of preventing occupational accidents, the Ministry of Labor said today.
The draft amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法) would seek to prevent construction accidents from the origin by strengthening contractors’ safety management, raising the maximum penalty and disclosing more information about businesses that breach safety standards, Occupational Safety and Health Administration Director-General Tzou Tzu-lien (鄒子廉) said.
The amendment would require property owners to plan their construction beforehand, implement risk evaluation and prepare a budget for safety measures, Tzou said.
Photo: Yang Ya-min, Taipei Times
Subcontracting is common in the construction industry, yet most contractors do not properly perform their managerial duty of ensuring occupational safety, despite receiving economic benefits, he said.
Renting venues and equipment to others without telling them relevant risks could lead to occupational accidents as well, he added.
About 200 to 300 people have died from occupational accidents every year since the act changed to its current name 10 years ago, the ministry said.
The ministry is to amend the act in 60 days, aiming to send the bill to the Legislative Yuan in its next session, it added.
It would be the first major amendment in five years since the ministry amended the act in 2019.
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