Li Yizhong, head of the State Administration of Work Safety
(SAWS), urged the public and media to help supervise the country's
work safety by reporting accidents and illegal acts in
production.
"Reports of workplace accidents from the public and media would
be a strong support to ensuring work safety," Li said at a work
safety forum held on Sunday.
Rewards for reporting accidents should continue to be raised,
and punishment of relevant personnel in major accidents should be
publicized timely to facilitate public supervision, said Li.
"Let there be no hiding place for any accident on this vast
9.6-million-square-kilometer land," he said.
A new regulation on the reporting and investigation of workplace
accidents which comes into effect on June 1 says any institution or
individual is entitled to reporting accidents or illegal acts in
investigation to SAWS or other relevant departments, and those who
receive the reporting should address the problems in time and in
accordance with laws and regulations.
Li said earlier the SAWS is obliged to investigate into any of
the accidents exposed by media or on the Internet.
Coal mine accidents killed 4,746 people in China in 2006.
Li said the country has launched a nationwide campaign in May to
identify and address safety loopholes in sectors such as coal
mines, transportation, toxic chemicals and construction in a bid to
curb accidents.
(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2007)