BEIJING (ILO News) -- The ILO family has been deeply saddened and extends its heartfelt condolences to the workers injured and the families of those killed in the workshop explosion in Kunshan on August 2, 2014. Every worker injured or killed presents a loss of human dignity, a loss of income to families, a loss of skills and experience to companies and a loss of friends, colleagues, workers to society. Events such as the Kunshan explosion are particularly tragic since most workplace injuries and illness can be prevented through effective workplace hazard assessment and interventions.

First of all, a thorough investigation is imperative to determine the exact cause of the explosion so that Kunshan can take preventative measures to prevent such explosions in the future and so that other employers can learn from Kunshan's experience and also take necessary actions to prevent similar tragedies in their workplaces. Prevention measures, safety and health management, workers’ participation, and effective law compliance are essential for ensuring the safety and health of workers in their workplaces.

The ILO stands ready to provide continued support to the joint efforts of tripartite partners to provide every single worker in China with a safe work place in line with international standards and to prevent future accidents.