The Ministry of Labor hosted the opening of the “2023 Occupational Safety, Health, and Rehabilitation International Conference” today (10th) at the Grand Hotel Taipei. At the opening ceremony, Minister of Labor Hsu Ming-Chun pointed out that creating a “safe, secure, and stable” work environment has always been the vision of the Ministry of Labor. Despite various uncertainties such as the pandemic, Taiwan has seen a consistent decrease in its overall occupational injury rate per thousand workers over the last 2 years. This suggests a steady enhancement of the country's occupational safety and health standards across all industries. However, there is still a need for continuous improvement. Engaging in exchanges with domestic and foreign experts can provide valuable perspectives for the government to formulate relevant policies.
 

The conference was organized by the Ministry of Labor, prepared by OSHA and COAPRE, and co-organized by the Taiwan Labor Law Association and The Asian Law Institute. Starting today and lasting for 2 days, there will be 3 sessions featuring the presentation of 26 papers. Approximately 400 experts and scholars from Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, and other countries who are concerned about occupational safety and health, protection of workers' health, and occupational accident worker rehabilitation have signed up for the event.
 

In his opening remarks, Hsu Ming-Chun expressed that after experiencing the severe challenges posed by the pandemic in recent years, people's lives are gradually returning to normal, and various industries are also recovering. Ensuring that workers can strive for economic prosperity in a "safe, secure, and stable" work environment is the government's top priority.
 

Hsu Ming-Chun pointed out that in addition to continuously bolstering occupational safety measures and enforcing labor supervision and inspections, in response to the current emphasis on occupational health and the implementation of the "Labor Occupational Accident Insurance and Protection Act" last year (2022), the Ministry of Labor, in collaboration with local governments, occupational accident workers' professional service personnel, 15 approved occupational injury and disease treatment and diagnosis centers, and 31 specialized hospitals for occupational accident rehabilitation, is working closely with the professional team from COAPRE to provide technical support for the operation of units related to labor health services, occupational injury and disease treatment and diagnosis, and occupational rehabilitation under the Ministry of Labor. The collaborative effort aims to provide prompt assistance to workers and ensure the quality of occupational injury and disease medical diagnosis and treatment and occupational rehabilitation services. The ultimate goal is to realize one-stop and comprehensive services for occupational accident workers.
 

In enhancing the protection of workers' health, Hsu Ming-Chun mentioned that since last year, the Ministry of Labor has been pushing for the implementation of the Medium and Long-term Plan for the Sustainable Development of Occupational Health in Taiwan. Preliminary guidelines for sustainable health and safety disclosure in the workplace have been formulated, along with various tools for businesses’ reference. In addition, relevant forums, and outstanding enterprise selection and commendation activities related to this initiative are carried out progressively. With the government leading the charge, businesses, industries, and supply chains are encouraged and guided to partake in the program, collectively striving to improve the health of Taiwan's occupational health and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
 

Hsu Ming-Chun stressed that despite facing factors such as the uncertainties of the pandemic and international political turmoil in the past 2 years, Taiwan's overall occupational accident rate per thousand workers has continued to decline, indicating the gradual improvement in the country's occupational safety and health standards, achieved through the joint efforts of the central and local governments, as well as that of employers and employees. However, he emphasized the need to continuously borrow from the experiences of developed countries and engage in ongoing improvement.
 

The conference is divided into 3 sessions covering 4 major topics including "Responsibilities of Employers and Employees in Occupational Safety and Accident Prevention", "Responsibilities of Government Departments", "Prevention and Protection Measures", and "Health Promotion, Education, and Training". The conference, which commenced today, will feature more enriching sessions tomorrow. In addition to Prof. Wang Jung-Te, an honorary professor at the College of Medicine, Department of Public Health of National Cheng Kung University, who will discuss the benefits of major disease prevention on healthcare expenditures through empirical research methods, Prof. Tateishi Seiichiro from the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, and Seunghyun Lee from the Seoul Northern Occupational Disease Evaluation Committee in Korea, will also share insights on how the Japanese and Korean governments are planning and assisting occupational accident workers in returning to their original workplaces.