Around 9 a.m. on February 26, a 44-year-old elevator worker was bending over while working when suddenly a screwdriver longer than 30 centimeters fell from over 20 meters above and directly pierced into his chest from behind. Due to the severity of the injury, he was immediately at the brink of death. His coworkers quickly called 120 and rushed him to the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University. Medical examination showed that the screwdriver was pressed against the intercostal blood vessels and the posterior segment of the upper pulmonary artery, with the tip only two centimeters from the right pulmonary hilum. Rushing to remove the screwdriver could have caused massive bleeding or even hemorrhagic shock. The surgery was completed on the same day, and after the complete removal of the screwdriver, the worker was out of life-threatening danger.
Online reports about this incident all emphasize “learning the correct way to handle trauma,” “if a foreign object penetrates a chest injury, seek medical attention promptly and handle it scientifically, and do not attempt to remove the foreign object yourself.” However, despite this incident triggering the “crime of throwing objects from high places” under the Criminal Law of China, no accountability has yet been taken for the culprit responsible for the high-altitude throwing. Under the selfish logic of capitalist society, acts of throwing objects from high places for personal convenience happen repeatedly, and the authorities are unwilling to pursue responsibility. Workers who do not understand the legal provisions of the law are unable to protect even their basic interests. After harm has already been caused, simply discussing first aid techniques without addressing the root causes of the injury will not improve the workers’ situation at all.
