The Ministry of Emergency Management of China expands the SCORE programme into eight more provinces one year after entering a new MOU with the ILO.
Huzhou, China (ILO News) — The ILO and the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) celebrated the 2025 World Day for Safety and Health at Work in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province with a ceremony launching the Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) pilot programmes for work safety in eight additional provinces. Just one year ago, the International Exchange and Cooperation Center of MEM became an official implementation partner of the ILO SCORE programme, demonstrating China’s commitment to work safety through workplace social dialogue. Since then, progress has been remarkably swift.
Highlighting the theme of the 2025 SAFEDAY, "Revolutionizing Health and Safety: The Role of AI and Digitalization at Work," Chang-Hee Lee, Director of the ILO Country Office for China and Mongolia, emphasized the profound impact of new technologies on occupational safety and health (OSH).
"Smart systems are detecting hazardous conditions in real time, virtual reality training is immersing workers in simulated emergencies for safer responses, predictive analytics, wearable technologies, and robotics are becoming integral parts of workplace safety strategies. Yet, this technological revolution also brings new risks, such as algorithmic errors, system failures, and ethical concerns around surveillance and worker autonomy."
Insights from the latest ILO global report underscore the urgency of embedding OSH into digitalization strategies and responding to new risks through innovative governance frameworks.
Li Wanchun, Chief Engineer of MEM, shared how across China, MEM has vigorously promoted the integration of AI technologies into work safety management. The deployment of the "Jiu’an" large AI model, integrated with DeepSeek technologies and will be launched nationwide to the emergency management system, exemplifies China's commitment to modernizing safety governance. From Foshan’s smart factories to Zhejiang’s digital emergency management networks, and from robotic automation in steel production to grassroots participatory safety practices through SCORE, rapid transformations are taking place across Chinese workplaces.
While new technologies such as AI are proving to be powerful tools in addressing workplace OSH hazards, the foundation of safe and healthy working environments remains rooted in social dialogue, which the ILO and its member States have promoted for more than a century. The expansion of the SCORE programme in China reflects this broader vision: embedding a culture of prevention by building trust, cooperation, and proactive engagement between workers and managers.
China was among the first to pilot the ILO SCORE and now stands as one of the programme’s greatest success stories globally. Since MEM launched the ILO SCORE Programme in 2014, it has brought SCORE to over 1,700 enterprises, mainly micro, small, and medium-sized firms. The impact is impressive. Hidden risks identified have surged by 160% on average, with over 70% of these risks detected by workers themselves. Many SCORE enterprises have demonstrated a profound cultural shift toward a strong commitment to work safety and self-governance, where workers actively propose improvements that enhance both safety and productivity.
"It has shown us that when workers and managers collaborate, real and sustainable improvements are possible."
Said Dragan Radic, Chief of the Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Branch of the ILO.
The integration of SCORE principles into China's national policies has significantly amplified its impact. MEM has embedded the "workplace cooperation" approach into major safety regulations and strategic frameworks, such as the "Work Safety Standardization Basic Norms" and the "Three-Year Action Plan for Fundamental Work Safety Improvement." Most recently, SCORE methodologies informed the development of guidelines for the "Reward Mechanism for Internal Reporting of Hazards by Production and Business Units," reinforcing the role of worker participation in hazard prevention.
Looking ahead, MEM envisions blueprints for promoting SCORE internationally under the Belt and Road Initiative. As Li Wanchun noted,
"China’s experience in enhancing enterprise safety management capacity through SCORE can serve two important purposes: sharing practical models with Chinese characteristics with other Belt and Road countries and supporting Chinese companies operating abroad to improve their OSH compliance and strengthen labour relations. Integrating SCORE into South-South cooperation initiatives and Belt and Road partnerships would allow China to contribute meaningfully to global sustainable development goals."
Over 200 participants, including officials from emergency management authorities and company representatives from different provinces, attended the event. They exchanged experiences and shared best practices on how fostering workplace cooperation and incentivizing workers' contributions to hazard identification and reporting can shape a safer, healthier future of work.