Q: Seeing news stories on the huge and deadly explosion of the hazardous materials plant in China made we wonder if that country has the equivalent of our EPA and OSHA?
—Frank Manfre, Grayson
A: China's State Administration of Work Safety oversees many aspects of workplace safety in that country, including developing "proposals on major policies and measures regarding work safety," its website states.
The State Administration of Work Safety also oversees the supervision and regulation of the “safe production of dangerous chemicals and fireworks.”
Buildings in China that store dangerous chemicals must be at least 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) from public buildings, residences and highways, The Associated Press reported.
The Ruihai International Logistics warehouse in Tianjin, where 700 tons of sodium cyanide was being stored, was within 1,640 feet of a highway and a large apartment complex.
At least 114 people were killed and 70 others are missing as a result of the Aug. 12 explosion at the warehouse.
There were 68,061 on-the-job deaths in China in 2014, or 186 a day, CNN.com reported, compared to 12 a day in the United States.
There are about 1.3 billion people in China, compared to nearly 319 million in the United States.
Q: Two articles in the Aug. 3 edition of the AJC — one by a college professor and one by a high school teacher — didn’t identify where the professor teaches. Where does she teach?
—Gerald Wade, Stockbridge
A: Monique Kluczykowski was an assistant professor of English at the University of North Georgia for 28 years until she recently retired, she told Q&A on the News in an email.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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