Occupational disease 

cctv.com 07-19-2005 13:03

Continuing our Labor Report series, Guo Liying visited a battery factory in east China's Zhejiang province. There, she found China was facing a tough struggle in its attempt to strike a balance between economic development and the protection of workers.

Faster than a bicycle, cheaper and safer than a motorcycle, electric scooters are gaining popularity in China, with millions being sold, especially in the south.

Guo Liying in Changxing County, Zhejiang Province said, "Three batteries like this one are enough to power the scooter. Local people call batteries a 'sunshine industry' because the use of batteries is considered convenient and environmentally friendly. However, the people who make the batteries are paying a heavy price."

Twenty -nine years old Yao Haiying is one of them. Just off work, she showed us her legs and feet. The darker parts are covered with lead - one of the most poisonous elements in the battery factory.

She had to change her facemask four times during her ten hours working day. Each one was polluted with lead. As usual, the first things she must do after work is wash her work clothes.

Yao said, "I've only worn these clothes for one day, but you can see the red lead dust at the bottom of the washing basin." Yao Haiying has been working as a battery maker for three months. Already, she says she feels ill. Yao also said, "Sometimes I feel sick, with headaches and numbness. I am not sure whether these symptoms are from lead poisoning."

This factory in Changxing County is where Yao Haiying works. The factory supplies 30 percent of the country's battery market and makes up nearly half of the local battery industry. In the parts we were allowed to film, conditions seemed relatively unpolluted. But the only ventilation comes from rickety fans. Even this is an improvement for some.

Another Battery Factory Worker Zheng Xuexin said, "I worked for other small battery factories before. The environment here is much better than others." In the capital, occupational disease specialists told us lead poisoning might go undetected in the early stages of exposure. But long-term exposure in the factory can be fatal.

Wang Yanhong, Physician & Director of Beijing Chaoyang Disease Control & Prevention Center

"Lead poisoning can result in damage to the digestive system, brain, nervous system, heart and other functional organs."

In 2003, a medical check on around 3,000 battery factory workers in Changxing showed that more than 30 percent of them had been poisoned by lead. The victims are found at every stage of production.

Local authorities say they are paying attention to the problem.

Shao Yongjie, Deputy Director of Changxing Battery Industry Reform Project said, "Besides installing environmental protection facilities, we make sure battery workers get a medical check-up and treatment in time. We also teach workers about protecting themselves at work."

Despite this, Yao Haiying and her colleagues are still suffering from the harmful environment they work in every day, and many are not aware of the damage being done to their health. But some do know, like this woman, a co-worker of Yao Haiying, who asked not to be identified.

She's hesitating between the choice of quitting her job or continuing paying the price with her health.

Changxing is called 'the battery county', reflecting the role the industry has played in its booming economy. But is this progress worth the suffering of the workers who have made the economic miracle possible?

Editor:Wang  Source:CCTV.com