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Worker fatalities: How does China compare to U.S.?

March 4, 2010 By 6 Comments

China says 83,196 people lost their lives in work-related incidents last year.

China’s State Administration of Work Safety reported 380,000 incidents in the workplace that caused death or injury.

How does that stack up compared to the U.S.? To put the situation into perspective, the U.S. has a workforce of 155 million, while China has over five times that amount, at about 801 million.

The U.S. reported 5,071 worker deaths in 2008.

So the number of workplace fatalities in China is 16 times that of those in the U.S.

Approximately 14 workers die per day in the U.S. compared to 228 in China.

Coal mining accounted for 2,631 deaths last year in China — 7 deaths per day. China relies on coal for 70% of its energy needs.

One thing China and the U.S. have in common regarding this topic: Both countries’ safety agencies make sure to point out the declining number of workers dying per year. China points out it had almost 8,000 fewer worker deaths in 2009 than in 2008.

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  • Aïda

    You have to look at these numbers by their percentages to get the total picture.

    In America, 3.27% of employees, or 5071 of 155,000,000 workers, died in 2008 as a result of a work-related injury.

    In China, 1.04% of employees, or 83,196 of 801,000,000 workers, died in 2008.

    So in other words, China has what is perceived to be a safer workplace than America.

    But one has to wonder if, in addition to its coal mining operations, how many of the deaths were due to an industrialized workplace like a factory vs. how many were to possibly more primitive workplaces, such as agricultural operations.

    In America, engineering controls and proactive training reduces the number of work-related deaths. No doubt China is taking the same approach if they have consistently been lowering the numbers of deaths at work.

  • http://www.safetynewsalert.com Fred Hosier

    Aida,

    I did the math as you suggested.

    In the U.S.: 5,071/155,000,000 = .00327%

    In China: 83,196/801,000,000 = .01039%

    China has the greater percentage of workers who die on the job.

  • Cool Daddy

    By a very large margin – being a negative statistic, I am wondering how many may have been unreported. In the US, it would be very difficult to hide a workplace fatality, I am not saying it doesn’t happen, just that it would be extremely difficult. I don’t know how China’s system is in that regard….

  • http://none W Vince Rose

    Funny, this article is really an illustration of what is happening to our economy and all economies. If you read behind the numbers then you can also surmise that if I were to open a company in China, then I would not have to worry so much about being sued by families or individuals or Government agencies if a worker here or there were to die. So, capital investment flows into those countries and flows out of the United States. In short, this is why we have a 10% unemployment rate and this is why we will continue to have one. As an investor who would want to protect my investments (and money) what is my incentive to invest in the United States? None. All I would want to do is make money on my money in industries with low risk like the Financial Sector and then invest my money in factories in China where I have little risk of being sued because someone falls or dies. As an engineer, I feel very sorry for the American Worker because there is no end to this situation and ultimately the only job being created in our economy are the low paying service jobs like Wal-Mart associates. I guess the economist who saw this coming in the 70’s and 80’s understood the impact. I just wish the Obama Administration understood this situation better. That’s my 2 cents.

  • Captain Safety

    The answer lies in greed…from the american worker who feels entitled, wants to do less and make more, to the shareholder who continues to want more and more profit…putting on lugnuts for $38.00/hr? Owners obtaining profits at cost + 50%?…simple greed. Everyone is not happy with 2+ cars, cable TV, cell phones, and video games, and want more and more.

    China is where we were at in the 1920’s/1930’s in their development – bodies are expendable at the sake of owners seeking profit. One can look back at our Safety history (it is cyclical) – Safety processes will be implemented at an accellerated pace in China in the next 10 years…once the workers get tired of being killed, maimed, or injured, while owners increase profits – workers will stop working, plants will be idle for a short time, owners will concede little by little, until workplaces are safe. Watch and see…

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