New regulations for the management of special workers in construction will be issued in 2026 – let’s take a look at what’s different

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Decree No. 60 of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development—the “Regulations on the Management of Specialized Workers in Construction”—will come into effect on June 1 this year. Also released around the same time is the “Regulations on the Safety Technical Training and Assessment Management for Specialized Workers” issued by the Ministry of Emergency Management. Isn’t this a perfect coincidence? Here, we’ll only discuss the new regulations issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. The promulgation of these new regulations will simultaneously render obsolete the old regulations from 2008 (Document No. Jianzhi [2008] 75), which had been in effect for 18 years. The key changes brought about by the new regulations can be understood from two aspects: stricter supervision and greater convenience/reduced burdens on the public. Below are the specific differences: First category: Stricter and more detailed supervision. 1. The credit-based entry requirements have been raised. To be eligible to take the exam for special operation personnel certificates, one must have no record of safety incidents or criminal penalties within the past 5 years ； The old regulations had no such time limit. 2. Clarify the physical examination standards. The list of diseases that preclude employment has been refined; examples include organic heart disease, epilepsy, and Meniere’s syndrome. Additionally, it is now mandatory to submit a medical examination report issued by a hospital at or above the secondary level ； The old regulations merely stipulated in general terms that a medical examination must be passed; there were no such detailed requirements. 3. Upgrade of the mandatory internship period. For the first time obtaining a certification, there is a training period of no less than 6 months, during which the trainee is supervised by someone with over 6 years of work experience. During this training period, the trainee must wear a training badge and is not allowed to work independently (this is somewhat similar to our driving licenses – beginners are required to have an experienced driver accompany them when driving on highways) ； Under the old rules, the internship period was only 3 months, and there were no requirements regarding coaching qualifications. 4. Regulations on fatigue prevention at work. For continuous operation of ≤4 hours, a break of ≥1 hour is required. This rule is somewhat similar to those in driving licenses; for example, when driving on the highway for 4 consecutive hours, one must take a 20-minute break ； The old regulations imposed no clear time limit. 5. Nationwide unified point management. The scoring period coincides with the 3-year validity period of the certificate. Points can be accumulated across provinces, and credit can be restored by reducing points through safety training ； The old rules did not include a national scoring system, accumulation of points across provinces, or a mechanism for reducing points through learning. These are also the regulatory provisions for obtaining a driver’s license, right... 6. Clarify corporate responsibilities and impose stricter penalties. Clarify the 10 core responsibilities of employers ； The maximum fine for employing unlicensed personnel is 200,000, while the maximum fine for violations during the probationary period is 100,000 ； The old regulations had vague definitions of responsibilities, no specific rules regarding penalties, and the penalties were mild. 7. Certificate management is more stringent. Forgery/selling/renting out of certificates is prohibited; fines of 10,000 to 30,000 will be imposed for violations ； Those who have their cheating proven cannot apply again for 3 years; those who conceal information cannot apply again for 1 year ； The old regulations contained no such detailed penalty provisions. The second category is to facilitate people’s lives and reduce their burdens by relaxing restrictions: 1. The age limit of 60 years has been removed. The old regulations stipulated that individuals must retire at the age of 60 ； The new regulations require only that those over 60 years old undergo a medical examination once a year and submit the report in order to continue working. This is also in line with the **policy of delaying retirement; after all**, since the specified retirement age has been increased, people can’t just stop working. 2. The validity period of the certificate is extended. It has changed from 2 years to 3 years, reducing the frequency of reviews. 3. National unified electronic certificates. Electronic certificates are used nationwide, and their authenticity can be verified on mobile phones ； The old regulations were mainly in paper form, making them inconvenient to use in different locations and difficult to audit randomly. 4. Mutual recognition of qualifications across sectors. Those holding special operation qualifications recognized by other departments can apply accordingly to avoid redundant certification processes ； The old regulations did not have a mutual recognition mechanism. This mainly refers to the certificates issued by the housing and urban-rural development department and the emergency management department. Although the regulations state that certificates can be recognized across jurisdictions, there is still much room for improvement at the implementation level. In most cases, safety training may be waived, but certificates cannot be used directly; one still needs to take and pass the relevant examinations in order to obtain a new certificate. Previously, some friends mentioned that mutual recognition is still not possible in many places. Let’s first see the actual implementation results of this. 5. Fully online processing, convenient and fast. Registration, application, and renewal of certificates for special operation personnel can all be handled through the online government service platform ； Under the old regulations, most processes were conducted offline. This also aligns with the trends of the times: it involves increasing efforts in online services to improve efficiency and reduce the need for physical visits. Additionally, regarding the assessment of certificates for special operation personnel: there are ≥2 centralized assessments per year; theoretical tests come first followed by practical tests. The results are valid for 1 year, with outcomes issued within 10 working days. An extension can be applied for 30 working days before the document expires ； No extension will be granted if 12 points are reached or if the vehicle is over 60 years old and has not undergone inspection. In terms of government regulation, a national regulatory information system should be established to facilitate the collection and sharing of information. …