China says coronavirus posing new risks, challenges to workplace safety

Medical workers from a hospital collect swabs from high school teachers for nucleic acid tests at a school, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Yichang, Hubei province, China April 27, 2020. China Daily via REUTERS

BEIJING, April 28 (Reuters) - The coronavirus outbreak is posing new challenges and risks to workplace safety for manufacturers, including an increase in unused inventory of dangerous goods and lack of adequate safety training for staff, a senior Chinese official said on Tuesday.

Sun Huashan, a vice minister for the Ministry of Emergency Management, told reporters during a briefing that safety-related risks have increased as many companies restart production after being forced to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

China will carry out strict checks on workplace safety and ensure accountability, he said.