Red Star News:

Since the second half of last year, major and catastrophic fire accidents have occurred in Anyang in Henan province, Jinhua in Zhejiang province, Cangzhou in Hebei province, and Fengtai district in Beijing. What common problems have been exposed by these fire accidents, and what targeted measures have been taken in response? Thank you.

Xu Ping:

Thank you for your questions. The fires mentioned just now resulted in serious casualties, especially the fire at Beijing Changfeng Hospital, which greatly compromised the bottom line of people's safety. Based on our analysis, these fires have revealed the following common problems:

First, there is a prominent issue of carrying out hot work and welding operations that violate regulations. The several fires mentioned were all a direct result of such rule-breaking activities. The necessary permits for such procedures had not been obtained, and there was a lack of fire protection measures at the worksites. The construction teams were not qualified, the construction personnel were not adequately trained, and the necessary safety measures had not been taken at the sites. 

Second, the problem of illegal construction is prominent. In renovation projects, some construction units engage in illegal subcontracting and cascading subcontracting practices. As a result, the management of the construction site is chaotic, which increases safety risks.

Third, there is a lack of safety management in leased factory buildings. The two units in Henan's Anyang and Zhejiang's Jinhua, both being large-scale buildings, were arbitrarily divided into rental spaces without unified management and there was a lack of coordination between enterprises. In particular, there were numerous flammable and combustible items, which posed a serious safety hazard. These incidents have taught us extremely profound lessons.

In response to the lessons revealed by these fires, we have taken the following measures:

First, we are implementing an intensive investigation and rectification of major risk hazards. The nationwide initiative for investigating and rectifying major fire safety risks in 2023 has been launched. It primarily targets three key types of locations: densely populated areas, sensitive and specialized sites, and mixed production and business areas known to pose a high risk of mass casualties and significant societal impact. The efforts focus on eight prominent issues, including unauthorized hot work construction, improper electro-gas welding, inappropriate use of thermal insulation materials, and the presence of flammable decorations. We are utilizing a combination of self-assessment by relevant entities, grassroots inspections, interdepartmental collaboration, and enhanced fire inspections. Strict law enforcement, government intervention, public scrutiny, and credit monitoring measures are being implemented with the utmost determination to eliminate major fire hazards.

Second, we are conducting a wide and comprehensive campaign to raise awareness and increase exposure. Various media platforms are being utilized to publicly report major and catastrophic fire accidents, focusing on spotlighting instances of unauthorized construction, hazardous hot work, welding operations, the presence of unauthorized "factories within factories," and subcontracting practices. Specialized promotional and training videos on fire safety in production facilities and hospitals are being developed. These videos, incorporating real-life fire cases and addressing common fire safety concerns and potential hazards, aim to ensure the enforcement of responsibility measures and disseminate crucial safety guidelines.

Third, we are elevating the capabilities of fire safety governance. Embracing the approach of addressing major risks while preventing minor ones, we maintain a vigilant focus on high-risk sites like high-rise buildings and large commercial complexes, low-security areas such as self-constructed buildings used for commercial purposes, and fire safety risks in new business forms and fields. A differentiated supervisory framework is being implemented, considering the specific characteristics of different categories. This approach emphasizes whole-process collaboration across the entire fire safety chain and between all relevant factors.

Thank you.