Abstract

Coal mines in China have become virtual death traps for the workers as mine owners allegedly pay scant attention to workplace safety. According to analysts, the disaster at a coal mine owned by Rui Zhiyuan Company in 2007 was yet another example of what was wrong with the Chinese coal mines. It raised some serious ethical issues and led critics to insist that the Chinese coal mine owners were putting profits ahead of the safety of its employees.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Workplace safety
• Process safety
• Ethics and social responsibility.

Keywords

Ethical issues, workplace safety, process safety, safety campaign, safety mechanism, China, coal mine, Rui Zhiyuan Company, management, manufacturing