Occupational safety and health status and protection strategies of workers in new business forms

The new business forms are the new patterns of the job market extended by the use of mobile internet, big data, cloud computing, and other information technologies in the context of a new round of information technology development. In recent years, under the catalysis of the new employment model, a large number of new business employees have emerged such as food delivery riders, couriers, and online car-hailing drivers, whose employment forms are flexible and don’t fully conform to the establishment of labor relations with the employers, and whose problem of overtime work is common. The employment characteristics of new business forms of "focusing on performance and ignoring responsibility" make workers at great risks of occupational injuries and occupational health problems such as work-related musculoskeletal disorders, mental disorders, and overwork. However, the current research on occupational safety and health of workers in new business forms is insufficient, and the experience of institutional practice and supervision is also limited. Therefore, based on relevant research progress at home and abroad, this paper discussed the health injuries of workers in new business forms, summarized associated influencing factors from four aspects: employment form, employment affiliation, long working hours exposure, and institutional guarantee, and then proposed countermeasures to strengthen occupational safety and health protection of workers. For the current problems in the employment of new business forms, the government, enterprises, and workers need to work together to improve the legal and regulatory system for employment of new business forms, and standardize occupational safety and health management, thus effectively protect the occupational safety and health rights and interests of workers in new business forms.