Back in February, Plastics News reported on a major fire that killed 15 employees of a plastics recycling company in Shenzhen, Guangdong. [story link]

On Sept. 28, authorities finally concluded the investigation and announced that government employees were involved and punished.

The Feb. 27 tragedy was caused by an "unlawful company not fulfilling safety measures [and] government and law enforcement officials' delinquency and misconduct," the Xinhua Agency quoted a government spokesman as saying.

Nine people, including three fire department employees and one official from the Environmental Protection Bureau, have been arrested and prosecuted. The charges include offering and accepting bribes. Seven other local government employees were also found guilty in the investigation and received "administrative disciplinary measures."

The company, Longfei, has been fined 2.6 million yuan.

Right after the Feb. 27 blaze, the Shenzhen government told the press that it would start a citywide inspection of workplace safety measures. However, on Sept. 26, a short-circuit caused another fire in Shenzhen, this time at the components warehouse of Taiwan-invested Jinshun Plastics Products Co. Fortunately, Xinhua said nobody was injured in the fire.

On the same day, a plastic toy factory in Foshan, Guangdong, reported a fire in the plastic recycling station. The affected area reached 450 square meters, Guangzhou Daily said.

In my opinion, the root of factory fire hazards in China is the same as tainted food: the pairing of irresponsible businesses with a lax/corrupt regulatory system.

I was asked by an American friend whether the tainted milk scandal will inspire Chinese businesses to pursue better quality. I'm not sure as to what exactly it will take to awaken businesses' conscience and correct the system. If toys coated with lead-paint weren't enough, will a milk/food scare do it? My fingers are crossed.