The central government yesterday reiterated the importance of
safety in the workplace and called it "a predominant issue" for the
country.
Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo yesterday stressed that businesses around
the country should further highlight and enforce safety at work to
prevent accidents from taking place.
Wu's remarks were heard at a national work safety conference
yesterday, where the official spoke of the recent tragic air
crashes involving Air China and China Northern Airlines.
Wu
said the two crashes had brought enormous loss to the victims and
their families, as well as to the country.
Accidents that occurred in the workplace recently were due largely
to the negligence of safety, according to Wu.
Local officials and business leaders have so far emphasized the
importance of production, output and profits, with little concern
on safety issues.
Wu
urged local governments to enhance the supervision of work safety
and vowed to take legal action against senior business leaders who
proved to be negligent. Since the releasing of work safety
regulations by the State Council, the number of accidents and the
number of casualties decreased in the first quarter of this year by
12.5 and 17.6 per cent respectively compared to the same period
last year.
But the country's overall work safety "is still a big problem and
remains unstable," said Wu.
Wu
also referred to a series of particularly troublesome industries
when it comes to the safety issues such as civil aviation, railway
transport, oil production and petrochemical production, electricity
generation and the arms industry.
These industries must learn a lesson especially after the recent
air accidents, said Wu.
Wu
also stressed in his remarks the shutting of illegal small coal
mines around the country.
Officials from various departments of the State Council, major
provincial leaders and leaders from a few State-owned enterprises
took part in the meeting yesterday.
(China
Daily May 15, 2002)