In recent years, the total accidents happened in China annually has resulted in direct losses of some 100 billion yuan (US$12 billion) a year in addition to some 100 billion yuan in indirect loss, according to the result of a research on the relationship between safe production and economic development which was conducted by State Economic and Trade Commission and other units.
Professor Luo Yun, director of the School of Engineering Technology, China University of Geosciences, said during an interview with Xinhua News Agency, China is experiencing the fifth “accident peak.” The previous four occurred in early 1950s, “the Great Leap” period (1958), “Culture Revolution” period (1966-76) and the first round of industrial reform from 1992 to 1993 respectively.
Data of recent years’ show that some 300 people are killed by accidents daily in China and the yearly economic losses resulted from accidents are equivalent to the doubled investment in the gorgeous Three Gorges Dam Project.
(china.org.com by Li Liangdu, June 24, 2002)
