Speech at the Press Conference Held by the Information Office of the State Council

25 July 2003
July 25, 2003

Wang Dexue

Deputy Administrator

The State Administration of Work Safety

The State Administration of Coal Mine Safety


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Ladies and Gentlemen: Good morning!

I am very pleased to meet with you all. In the first half of this year, under the special circumstances of fighting against SARS, a series of deployments and instructions of the Party and Government on work safety had been conscientiously implemented by the Party committees at all levels and mass of productive and management units across the country; specialized rectification of work safety had been further carried on and the responsibility system for work safety had been implemented at various levels with intensified measures, all of which had made the overall situation of work safety of the country relatively stable with a decrease of the total number of injurious and fatal accidents of various types and the fatalities caused by very severe accidents. The situation of work safety in some key industries had improved and it had maintained relatively stable in some provinces. However, due to the imbalanced development of various places and industries, very severe accidents had occurred from time to time and the situation of work safety in some areas and sectors was still serious. Relevant figures are included in the material distributed to you.

Progress has been achieved mainly in the following aspects of work safety nationwide since the beginning of this year:

The building of the work safety supervision and administration system has been advanced. After it was repositioned as a department directly under the State Council, the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) has taken vigorous measures to advance the building of the safety supervision and administration system. At present, specialized organizations of work safety supervision and administration have been established in 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government (including the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps) across the country and local organizations of safety supervision and administration at the prefectural and county levels have been set up in some provinces. In addition, the building of the foundation for work safety has been strengthened in light of the idea of building the "Six Supporting Systems".

The development of the legal system for work safety has been further strengthened. Speed up the development of the system of laws and regulations on work safety in the course of implementing "The Law on Work Safety". In the first half of this year, SAWS had promulgated 6 sectoral regulations, and the revision and review of "The Rules on the Investigation and Settlement of Accidents" will be soon finished and promulgated as an administrative regulation of the State Council this year. Local authorities of various places had also promulgated some localized administrative regulations.

Intensive inspection and supervision of work safety has achieved substantial results. In accordance with the unified deployment by the State Council, an intensive investigation of work safety has been conducted nationwide for 2 months since mid-April, and random investigation has been conducted in key areas and industries by the 12 teams from the State Council. The intensive investigation has promoted the implementation of the responsibility system for work safety at various levels and the in-depth development of the undertaking of work safety.

The specialized rectification of work safety has continued in depth. Under the unified leadership of the governments at various levels, new progress has been achieved in rectifying work safety in such industries and trades as coalmines, non-coal mines, dangerous chemicals, road and waterborne traffic, firecrackers and civil explosives, fire protection at densely-populated places, construction, urban gas, subways, agricultural machinery.

The assessment of work safety at enterprises has been conducted in an all-round way. To advance the basic undertaking of work safety at enterprises, SAWS has instructed a comprehensive assessment of the conditions for work safety to be conducted at all the productive and management units so as to make clear the true situation for specific guidance. Those enterprises without adequate basic conditions for work safety must be closed down, and 70% of the safety assessment in highly dangerous industries should be completed this year.

Taking into consideration the current situation of work safety, great efforts will be dedicated to the following key areas of work in the second half of this year:

First, specialized rectification of work safety will be further intensified with emphasis on the key issues. According to the requirement of the State Council, 5 areas of work safety will be further strengthened, especially rectifying the work safety of coalmines, enterprises of dangerous chemicals and road traffic, closing down those small factories and mines which are illegally operated or lacking in basic conditions for safe work, and preventing overloading in violation of the rules.

Second, inspection and supervision of work safety will be strengthened to promote the removal of hidden perils. The measures for removing the vital hidden perils identified by the inspection teams of the State Council will be vigorously implemented. In the second half of this year, specialized supervision of rectifying coalmines and the waterborne traffic in the Yangtze River and the removal of hidden perils will be conducted.

Third, The assessment of work safety in enterprises will be pushed on to strengthen specific guidance and supervision. Great efforts will be made to achieve the predetermined goal of progress of most of the provinces by the end of this year. Through the assessment, a clear understanding of the situation of work safety in various types of enterprises will be achieved so as to lay foundations for specific guidance and effective supervision.

Fourth, the development of the legal system for work safety and the work of the administrative law enforcement will be further strengthened. The formulation of the rules and regulations supplementing "The Law on Work Safety" will be speeded up, and investigation on the institution of the work safety licensing system for highly dangerous industries will be conducted. Very severe accidents that has occurred since the beginning of this year each causing 30 and more fatalities will be investigated in a speedy manner and the people involved in the causing of the accidents will be disciplined for their administrative responsibility according to law.

Fifth, the development of the work safety administration and supervision system will be speeded up. Local governments at all levels will be guided and supervised to establish organizations of authoritative work safety administration and supervision corresponding to their levels according to "The Law on Work Safety" and relevant requirements of the State Council so as to improve the system and form the orderly structure and mechanism of work safety administration and supervision that exercises the functions according to law.
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