The State Council on July 22 issued a document to approve revamping the interministerial joint conference system on occupational disease prevention and treatment.

The document is aimed at further strengthening occupational disease control and interministerial coordination and cooperation.

The joint conference should coordinate nationwide occupational disease control and push forward the implementation of related laws and policies, as the document stated.

It should also establish mechanisms for information release, occupational hazard detection and joint investigation for major incidents.

In addition, the panel should carry out interministerial law enforcement, rectification for specific issues, and supervision, research on occupational disease prevention, and treatment, and draw up plans for the State Council.

The joint conference consists of 17 members. They are the National Health Commission, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Emergency Management, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the National Healthcare Security Administration, the National Coal Mine Safety Administration, and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, of which the National Health Commission takes the lead, the document said.

The office of the joint conference will be set at the National Health Commission, responsible for the routine work.

According to the document, joint conferences will be held both regularly and as needed.

All joint conference members should actively study and table issues related to occupational disease control and fully implement decisions and assignments from the joint conference.

Meanwhile, members should boost communication and cooperation, and support each other in working together.