Fatal occupational injuries in a new development region in Shanghai in east
China are described. All occupational deaths in the East Pujiang New Area
during the period 1991 through 1997 were abstracted from multiple, overlapp
ing source documents. There were 426 deaths and a crude mortality rate of 9
.1 per 100, 000 workers. The death rate was highest in 1995 (14.6%), when e
xpansion in the area was most rapid. The construction sector accounted for
55% of the deaths, followed by manufacturing (23%) and transport, storage,
and telecommunications (11%). Falls, collisions, struck by/against incident
s, and electrocutions accounted for 80% of all deaths. Falls led all other
causes of deaths (33%) and were particularly prevalent in the construction
industry (46% of all deaths in construction). The development of ongoing, c
omprehensive injury surveillance systems in the People's Republic of China
will be essential to target and evaluate injury prevention activities in th
e future.