The Taiwan Executive Yuan approved the renaming of the Labor Safety and Health Act to the more inclusive Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The draft amendment also imposes heavier fines on serious violations of the labor safety law. Violators will face a fine ranging from NT$300,000 to NT$30 million. In addition, the names of businesses and their executives will be made public.
According to the draft amendment, employers are also required to set up a notification system for employees to receive regular health checkups. Businesses with over 50 workers are asked to hire medical personnel to help supervise the health of their workers.
Furthermore, the amendment requires new chemical notification, and obligations of hazardous chemicals operators to label, register, evaluate and obtain permit of hazardous chemical substances (mainly the amendments to Articles 10, 13 and 14).
The Executive Yuan Premier Wu Den-yih stated the revised law not only expands coverage, but also sets up a more complete system, including new chemical notification requirement, to ensure occupational safety and health.
The draft amendment is expected to be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for approval soon.
Taiwan’s Online Search System of Existing Chemical Inventory
Also according to the news of the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA), Taiwan National Chemical Register Office has completed the construction of existing chemical substances inventory online database search system (the Inventory) and the inventory online search testing had been underway since July 2011.
Internal and external testing will continue to be carried out before providing public access of the Inventory. As soon as the CLA makes the Inventory public, this system will provide search for chemical substances using CAS No., Chinese name, English name, or serial number(for substances without CAS No. and substances granted data protection).
