"Safety" in Beijing

When Beijing was fighting hard for their Olympic bid, one of their slogans was "Beijing: safety number one". It's clearly a joke, and anybody who spends more than 1wk here can see that safety is not a priority. They're leaps and bounds behind the west in terms of workplace safety, especially when it comes to protection against fumes and falling hazards.

I was at Wangfujing last week, on my way to a hospital to xray my sprained toe (short story: I kicked a curb), and I saw a demo team taking apart a building. I have been known for being a bit fearless and putting myself in unsafe positions (and having the occasional accident), but I would never work in these conditions.



Yesterday I visited a friends factory (yes, I've made friends with a factory owner). The factory produces fancy furniture. The carving part is pretty harmless, but what got to me was the varnishing. They spray the varnishes on in this one room, and all they wear are thin little cotton masks. Some people weren't even wearing their masks. I cringed a little, thinking about how they do the same job every day and don't have any protection whatsoever (and get paid pennies, but hey, this is China). What a place.