Wang Xianzheng, of the State Administration of Work Safety
(SAWS), reported Tuesday that in the January – April period,
287,884 accidents of various types occurred, with 38,189 people
killed nationwide.
Although total accidents were 4.1 percent lower than the same
period last year, the death toll climbed 2.4 percent.
He attributed the situation to the country's continuous safety
inspections, specialized rectifications and the creation of
legislation on workplace safety.
Major accidents and deaths were reported from road traffic
accidents, coalmines or other industrial incidents, trade and
commercial enterprise accidents, fires, and waterway and railway
traffic incidents.
Road traffic accidents remain the top killer, with 30,733
fatalities in 167,463 reported cases. These accidents accounted for
80.5 percent of the deaths and 58.2 percent of the country's total
accidents over the past four months.
Coal-related deaths dropped 25 percent during the January -
April period with 1,267 deaths reported in 854 reported cases. The
total output of coal was up 19 percent up over the same period the
previous year.
The number of extremely serious accidents--each with a death
toll of more than 30--dropped.
However, as domestic demand for chemical products soars, more
serious accidents in that sector have taken place in recent weeks
owing to outdated technology, aging facilities and poor
management.
Nine people were killed in a chemical factory explosion in
southwest China's Chongqing municipality on April 16.
Three workers died of poisoning in Maoming, Guangdong Province,
on April 19 after chemicals leaked at a local refinery.
"Such accidents resulted in 23 deaths and the poisoning of 300
others. More than 150,000 people had to be evacuated during
emergency operations from April 16 to 24, shocking all of society,"
Wang said.
Vice Premier Huang Ju urged all authorities to intensify
supervision over dangerous chemical products to end the escalating
trend.
"Comprehensive measures must be adopted to stop accidents of
this sort," Huang told a special conference on work safety held
Tuesday in Beijing.
Huang made it clear that "those held responsible for serious
calamities will be brought to justice in accordance with the
law."
Huang said that a nationwide campaign should be carried out
immediately to check the safety of facilities and enterprises that
process, store, transport, use and treat dangerous chemical
products.
The vice-premier admonished authorities to improve monitoring of
factors that could aggravate the seriousness of accidents by
developing contingency schemes and emergency rescue operations, and
ensuring that professional, quick-response rescue teams are well
prepared.
To further increase awareness of work safety, he ordered
authorities to intensify professional training and launch campaigns
to publicize safety information.
(China Daily April 28, 2004)