China to beef up safety supervision, reduce major risks

China will ramp up safety supervision, increase safety awareness across industries, and adopt new technologies to beef up workplace safety and eliminate potential risks, officials said at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on Friday.

On Jan. 29, 2021, the State Council Information Office holds a press conference in Beijing on reviewing the implementation of rectification measures after major accidents in the past five years. [Photo by Jiao Fei/China SCIO]

In 2021, the Office of the State Council Work Safety Committee and the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) will continue to uncover hidden risks, identify and address the root causes of major problems, implement workplace safety measures, and make sure that people’s lives and safety are prioritized, said Shen Zhanli, spokesperson of the MEM.

The Office of the State Council Work Safety Committee has recently organized a review on implementing rectification measures in the wake of serious accidents between 2015 and 2019.

It found lingering risks in industries involved with hazardous chemicals, mining, construction, and transportation, and identified loopholes in small- and medium-sized businesses, rural areas, and nursing facilities, said Li Wanchun, chief engineer of the MEM and director general of the ministry’s Department of Investigation Assessment and Statistics.

The MEM has vowed to learn from each accident and work with related departments of all levels to strengthen safety inspection and crack down on violations of laws and regulations.

In 2020, the number of accidents and casualties related to coal mining, chemicals, and fires all dropped compared with the year before, according to official statistics.