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Analysis of the Causes of Frequent Safety Accidents in the Shipbuilding Industry and Countermeasures — Based on a Case Study of Shipbuilding Enterprises in Jiangdu City Wang Jin, Director of the Jiangdu City Work Safety Supervision Bureau. At present, there are 82 shipbuilding enterprises of various sizes in Jiangdu City, with over 40,000 employees; 12 of these enterprises have annual sales exceeding 100 million yuan. With global economic integration, the shipping industry has been growing year by year, creating unprecedented business opportunities for the shipbuilding sector. The number of enterprises in this field is also on the rise, making positive contributions to local economic development and foreign trade. However, due to factors such as inadequate policies, unfair competition, and poor management standards, shipbuilding enterprises in Jiangdu City vary significantly in terms of scale, management level, and overall quality; 50% of these enterprises are small-scale or operate on a workshop-style or family-based basis. Violations of safety regulations occur from time to time in shipbuilding enterprises, and accidents resulting in injuries and deaths are on the rise. Over the past two years, there have been 4 accidents resulting in casualties, causing tremendous losses to people’s lives and property. In response to this, the author conducted an investigation and analysis, offering a superficial discussion on the causes of frequent accidents and corresponding countermeasures. I. Current Situation of the Enterprise: The shipbuilding and repair industry involves tasks such as working at heights, working in confined spaces, lifting operations, welding and cutting operations, as well as concurrent activities. It also makes use of toxic, flammable, and explosive hazardous materials such as paint, acetylene, and liquefied gas, making it a high-risk industry. Due to its uniqueness, it can be summarized by five characteristics: low, fast, numerous, scarce, and chaotic. First, the level of technology involved is low. Shipbuilding companies not only have long construction periods, but also involve many different types of work and complex manufacturing processes. Production mainly relies on manual labor, making it a labor-intensive industry with limited use of high-tech technologies. Second, there is rapid personnel turnover. Most of the tasks related to ship lofting, welding, assembly, closing, and launching are carried out by external construction teams. The special skilled workers within these external teams are mostly migrant workers, and driven by interests as well as changes among shipowners, this has accelerated the flow of personnel. Third, there are many electrical devices. During the construction process, shipbuilding companies make extensive use of equipment and gases. The main types of equipment used include AC and DC welders, submerged arc welders, fans, air compressors, portable grinders, gate cranes, and other electrical devices. Gases commonly used include oxygen, acetylene, liquefied gas, nitrogen, and other toxic, flammable, and explosive gases. Improper use of the equipment, inadequate maintenance and inspection, and poor management of gases can all lead to equipment-related injuries, electric shocks, fires, explosions, and poisoning incidents at any time. Fourth, there is little investment in safety. It is common for many corporate entities to prioritize profits over safety; they tend to minimize spending on safety measures, reducing costs wherever possible and avoiding any investment at all when it can be done. Safety facilities and corrective actions are not implemented in a timely or adequate manner, and workers do not receive the necessary three-level safety training or regular education. To varying degrees, equipment is outdated and operates beyond its intended lifespan or while in poor condition, creating potential risks that lead to frequent accidents. Fifth, on-site management is chaotic. The enterprise’s safety management system is inadequate, and there are no dedicated safety officers to oversee the work site ； Workers do not wear the required personal protective equipment; it is common for those engaged in special types of work to operate without proper licenses or with expired certificates. Electrical equipment is left exposed on the site, wires are connected haphazardly, the wiring is aged and damaged, there are no leakage protection devices, and in some cases there are even no distribution boxes or switch boxes. Oil stains in the ship’s compartments are not cleaned, and there is still a risk of explosions due to the use of open flames. II. Cause Analysis Ships are large and complex systems, and their construction process is both complicated and variable. There are many safety hazards and frequent accidents, caused by both objective and subjective factors. Based on the current situation, the main reasons include: 1. Policy and legal factors. **The policies and laws governing market access and oversight in the shipbuilding industry are not clear enough; the entry barriers are too low, resulting in a mixed quality of firms in this sector and chaotic competition. There is a lack of effective, coordinated regulatory measures and administrative tools, which leads to inadequate and insufficient daily management. 2. Institutional and mechanism-related reasons. For a long time, the shipbuilding industry has been primarily regulated by the local authorities in which it is located; at the county level and below, there are no specialized regulatory bodies. The mechanisms for comprehensive supervision and specific oversight of safe production over the long term are not yet well-established, and responsibilities for regulation are unclear, with inconsistencies between duties and authorities. Furthermore, the lack of unified industry standards and operating procedures for safe production in the shipbuilding sector, along with intensifying fierce competition, is also a major cause of frequent accidents. 3. Reasons related to responsibility implementation and management. (1) The “responsibilities” of the two entities are not properly implemented. **Departments often focus only on economic benefits and the expansion of the company’s scale, as well as increases in overall volume, failing to ensure proper implementation and supervision of safety responsibilities by company leaders. Enterprise leaders lack awareness of laws related to work safety; the responsible parties are not clearly defined, and responsibilities are not fulfilled. In particular, enterprises that operate in leased facilities engage in short-term approaches to work safety by subcontracting tasks multiple times or relying on other entities. Some outsourcing teams shift responsibility for providing safety facilities, managing work safety, and assigning safety personnel to one another, resulting in gaps in management. (2) Insufficient capital investment. Some enterprises and outsourced construction teams, due to financial constraints, allocate most of their funds to production and operations, which results in a lack of funding for safety measures. The vast majority of these enterprises do not set up special accounts for safety purposes, nor do they deposit sufficient amounts as safety deposits as required. Investments in technological upgrades for safety, identification and correction of potential hazards, safety education and training for employees, and emergency response efforts are merely superficial, leading to weak capabilities in risk mitigation and accident prevention, and thus creating conditions that contribute to a high incidence of accidents. (3) Inadequate protection of electrical equipment. The welding machines and distribution boxes are left exposed on the ground without adequate protection. Due to prolonged exposure to sunlight and rain, the protective covers, connectors, and cables of these machines become aged and damaged, leading to frequent occurrences of electric leakage and short circuits. Some of the equipment is also operating in a faulty condition. Many special equipment items and pressure vessels do not undergo proper inspection or maintenance. Safety valves, pressure gauges, and fire-fighting equipment are either incomplete or not properly equipped, preventing the equipment from having the necessary safety capabilities to prevent and mitigate accidents effectively. (4) Inadequate control of safety distances. In accordance with relevant regulations, in the absence of barriers or other protective measures, workers must maintain the necessary safety distance from live equipment while carrying out their tasks. For voltages of 10 KV and below, a safety distance of 0.35 m should be maintained ； For voltages between 20–35 KV, a safety distance of 0.60 meters should be maintained; for voltages of 44 KV, a safety distance of 0.90 meters is required; for voltages between 60–110 KV, a safety distance of 1.50 meters is necessary; for voltages of 154 KV, a safety distance of 2.00 meters is needed; for voltages of 220 KV, a safety distance of 3.00 meters must be kept; for voltages of 330 KV, a safety distance of 4.00 meters is required, and for voltages of 500 KV, a safety distance of 5.00 meters is necessary. The investigation found that the vast majority of work sites lacked clear signage and failed to enforce regulations properly, with electric shock accidents being the most common type of accident. (5) Inadequate environmental protection. After the hull was assembled, rust removal and grinding of the hull were carried out, with workers not wearing masks or gas masks – a common sight everywhere. All subsequent welding operations are carried out in enclosed spaces. Due to the limited space in these areas, ventilation is insufficient, the working conditions are poor, and rescue measures are not implemented. There are no strict rules followed for working inside such spaces or for welding operations; in particular, painting and welding tasks pose a high risk of serious accidents. (6) Inadequate training and education. In some enterprises, particularly those employing foreign contractors, workers such as welders, sheet metal workers, crane operators, forklift operators, and electricians work without proper licenses; they lack the necessary safety knowledge and are unaware of the operating procedures, which creates potential hazards for safety accidents in these enterprises. III. Countermeasures At the recently concluded 17th National Congress of the Party, General *** pointed out in his report that it is necessary to \"adhere to safe development, strengthen safety management and supervision, and effectively prevent serious and major safety accidents.\" This clearly demonstrates the concern and emphasis placed by the Party Leadership and the State Council on work related to safety production. In response to the problems existing in the shipbuilding industry, and in order to prevent and curb the occurrence of safety accidents, the author believes that the following measures should be taken: First, it is necessary to strengthen policy guidance. Make full use of the opportunity presented by policy adjustments in the shipbuilding industry to develop a set of targeted local industrial policies. Adjust the current industrial structure, raise the entry barriers appropriately, regulate market access in accordance with the principles of a market economy, and apply the principle of survival of the fittest. Through policy guidance and legal support, efforts should be made to promote standardization in order to avoid unfair competition, enabling shipbuilding enterprises to move toward sustainable development. This will also help to improve these enterprises’ safety management practices and enhance their inherent safety levels. Second, it is necessary to strengthen leadership in the industry. First, **leadership needs to be strengthened. At present, the shipbuilding industry at the prefecture-level and above is under the supervision of the Science, Technology and Defense Commission, while at the county level and below there are no dedicated shipbuilding management departments; most of these functions are handled within the Economic Development Commissions or under their oversight, with no separate administrative authorities in place.** Especially after the implementation of the riverbank development strategy, many enterprises moved from inland waters to areas along the rivers, while management rights remained with the original townships, resulting in a \"gap\" in safety management. Regarding this. Below the county level, **specialized competent departments should be established. Second, industry management is implemented by **taking the lead in establishing industry management associations to carry out effective supervision of work safety. Third, a system of acting registered safety officers is implemented to assist enterprises in improving their safety management systems, establishing safety records, carrying out safety inspections, and promptly identifying and eliminating potential safety hazards. Third, it is necessary to strengthen the scrutiny of qualifications. At present, the entry barriers for shipbuilding and repair enterprises in our country are still quite low; many such projects rely on affiliated companies or external contractors. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Work Safety Law, the industry authorities are required to conduct thorough assessments of the safety qualifications and credentials of the external companies and contractors involved, including their legal representatives, safety officers, and those holding certificates for special types of work. They must also examine the existing work safety regulations, safety training programs, safety management records, as well as past work safety performance, in order to ensure effective management and oversight at the source. Fourth, increase investment in safety funds. All shipbuilding companies must ensure the allocation and use of funds for safe production. In accordance with the principles of safety production policies, relevant local departments shall establish corresponding systems and maintain separate accounts; enterprises must allocate sufficient funds for safety purposes, to ensure funding for essential safety facilities, equipment, staff training, and the rectification of potential hazards. First, it is necessary to establish a safety production database for the city’s shipbuilding industry, including information such as the \"four certificates and one license\" required for shipbuilding, basic details of the owners, the equipment available in the facilities, and the names of the registered safety officers. This will help to standardize and digitize ship safety management. Secondly, it is necessary to increase financial investment. In light of the safety hazards such as falls from heights, object strikes, electric shocks, mechanical injuries, and explosions that have occurred in the shipbuilding industry, funds should be allocated from a development perspective, and in accordance with high standards and a high starting point, efforts should be made to improve the scientific planning and classified management of safe production. Third, it is necessary to increase investment in addressing major safety hazards. Regarding the major safety hazards identified during routine inspections, centralized inspections, targeted inspections, and comprehensive inspections, enterprises should be urged to promptly address these safety issues. This will help to advance the goal of achieving \"zero violations,\" transforming post-incident penalties into preventive measures taken in advance, shifting from passive prevention to active prevention, and truly changing the attitude from \"I am forced to ensure safety\" to \"I want to ensure safety.\" It is also necessary to increase investment in safety technologies, and to actively adopt advanced \"four new\" technologies in order to use sophisticated scientific methods to prevent and reduce accidents. Fifth, it is necessary to strengthen supervision and inspection. As a high-risk industry, while fully implementing enterprises’ primary responsibility for safety production, it is necessary at the **level to establish joint law enforcement mechanisms, step up safety inspections and the prosecution of violations related to safety production; those who should be punished must be punished, and those businesses that need to be shut down should do so. Through administrative, economic, and legal measures, the overall safety level of these enterprises can be improved ； At the corporate level, it is essential to strengthen management effectively and strictly abide by and implement rules, regulations, and operating procedures – this is a crucial aspect in ensuring production safety. Enterprises should establish specific systems for safety inspections and maintain proper inspection records. At the same time, they need to set up a safety management structure to ensure that all safety objectives are implemented at the workshop and team levels. For all shipbuilding and repair projects, a safety plan for construction operations is required. At the same time, a system for sharing safety supervision information must be established; departmental inspections, self-inspections by enterprises, and accident investigations and analyses should be carried out. Relevant functional departments should work together to identify the key areas for safety supervision and inspection, so as to carry out targeted work in safety production supervision and management, thereby promoting safer production practices and an improvement in the management standards of enterprises. Safety management in the shipbuilding industry is a complex systematic task. Like other high-risk industries, it is not sufficient to focus solely on safety measures in response to accidents. As regulatory bodies responsible for safety in production, it is essential to uphold the concepts of scientific development and safe development, to fulfill one’s duties with a strong sense of responsibility toward the public, to intensify supervision, to innovate approaches as times evolve, and to make positive contributions to the steady improvement of safety conditions in production. Reposted from: http://www.jssafety.gov.cn/text_safety/LUNWEN_2004/aqlw0712031610.htm