Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning!

Today, I will report on the national work safety situation since the beginning of this year and provide a brief analysis of major tasks for the second half of this year.

I. Basic Situation on Work Safety Nationwide During First Half 2009

During the first half of this year, all localities and departments faithfully implemented the important guidelines of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on further strengthening work safety, thoroughly carried out the various assignments in connection with the Year of Work Safety, conducted three work safety campaigns (namely, the work safety law enforcement campaign, the work safety rectification campaign, and the work safety publicity and education campaign) in an in-depth manner, and realistically strengthened building efforts in three aspects (namely, in work safety-related legal and institutional systems and mechanisms, in work safety guarantee capacity, and in work safety supervision and inspection personnel); that is why the national work safety situation kept stable from a general perspective and gained momentum to improve. However, in some industries (sectors) and regions, major accidents rose, a clear indication that the national work safety situation remained serious.

(I) Accident Total

During the first half of this year, a total of 186,775 accidents of various categories occurred nationwide, causing 36,370 fatalities, a drop of 32,787 accidents (14.9%) and 5,115 fatalities (12.3%) as compared with the same period of last year. Among them, 749 accidents occurred at coal mines, causing 1,175 fatalities, a drop of 204 accidents (21.4%) and 265 fatalities (18.4%) as compared with the same period of last year.

1. accidents each with 3-9 fatalities

881 such accidents occurred nationwide, causing 3,463 fatalities, a drop of 40 accidents (4.3%) and 206 fatalities (5.6%) as compared with the same period of last year. Among them, 53 accidents occurred at coal mines, causing 239 fatalities, an equivalent of accident total but a drop of 19 fatalities (7.4%) as compared with the same period of last year.

2. accidents each with 10-29 fatalities

30 such accidents occurred nationwide, causing 392 fatalities, a drop of 12 accidents (28.6%) and 209 fatalities (34.8%) as compared with the same period of last year. Among them, 6 accidents occurred at coal mines, causing 82 fatalities, a drop of 7 accidents (53.8%) and 105 fatalities (56.1%) as compared with the same period of last year.

3. accidents each with 30 fatalities or more

2 such accidents occurred nationwide, causing 108 fatalities, a drop of 1 accident (33.3%) and 4 fatalities (3.6%) as compared with the same period of last year. Both accidents occurred at coal mines, an increase of 1 accident (100%) and 73 fatalities (208.6%) in the coal mining sector as compared with the same period of last year.

(II) Major Characteristics

First, the work safety situation in key industries (sectors) was stable. Key industries (sectors) such as coal mining, metal and non-metal mining, construction, hazardous chemicals, other industrial, mining and trading sectors, fires, road traffic, waterborne traffic, railways, agricultural machinery and fishery vessels maintained stable work safety conditions, and the passenger flights of civil aviation continued to enjoy a safe record.

Second, the work safety situation in most regions was stable. Among the 32 provincial statistical units nationwide, 25 registered a drop in major accidents, and 21 reported no major accident in the industrial, mining and trading sectors.

Third, the fulfillment of work safety control indicators was relatively good. The number of fatalities arising from accidents of different categories during the first half of this year accounted for 40.5% of the whole year quota, obviously within 50.0% (the same below) of the quota as half a year went by.

Except for fireworks, the number of fatalities in each of the industries (sectors) such as coal mining, metal and non-metal mining, construction, hazardous chemicals, special equipment, fires, road traffic, waterborne traffic, railways, agricultural machinery and fishery vessels all fell within the time-adjusted quota.

In 30 (93.8%) out of the 32 statistical units nationwide, the number of fatalities in accidents of various categories fell within the time-adjusted quota.

In 26 (92.9%) out of the 28 coal-producing statistical units nationwide, the number of fatalities in accidents at coal mines fell within the time-adjusted quota.

Fourth, positive results were achieved through the work safety law enforcement campaign. During the first half of this year, 164 accidents each with at least 3 fatalities arose from illegal construction, production and operation activities, causing 909 fatalities in total, a drop of 42 accidents (20.4%) and 133 fatalities (12.8%) as compared with the same period of last year. Among them, 118 accidents arose from driving unlicensed vehicles, alcohol-impaired driving, overloaded transport, illegal carriage of passengers on goods vehicles, etc., causing 612 fatalities, a drop of 33 accidents (21.6%) and 147 fatalities (19.4%) as compared with the same period of last year; 36 accidents arose from illegal construction, production and operation activities in the industrial, mining and trading sectors, causing 216 fatalities, a drop of 13 accidents (26.5%) and 35 fatalities (13.9%) as compared with the same period of last year.

(III) Major Problems

First, major accidents rose in some industries (sectors). In the category of coal mining accidents each with 30 fatalities or more, there was an increase of 1 accident and 73 fatalities as compared with the same period of last year. 4 construction accidents each with 10 to 29 fatalities occurred, causing 45 fatalities in total, an increase of 3 accidents and 35 fatalities as compared with the same period of last year. 2 fireworks accidents each with 10 to 29 fatalities occurred, causing 26 fatalities in total, an increase of 2 accidents and 26 fatalities as compared with the same period of last year.

Second, major accidents rose in some regions. Among the 32 provincial statistical units nationwide, 6 registered an increase of major accidents.

Third, collapse and fall accidents each with at least 3 fatalities occurred frequently in the construction sector. 39 collapse and fall accidents of such scale occurred, causing 202 fatalities, which respectively account for 76.5% of accident total and 82.8% of fatality total in the construction sector.

Forth, major accidents due to improper rescue efforts occurred from time to time. During the first half of this year, blind rescue attempts resulted in an increase of fatalities in 12 accidents each with at least 3 fatalities, causing 49 fatalities in total. Improper rescue efforts were to blame for the escalation of these accidents, in which only 26 persons were trapped at the very beginning.

Fifth, major near misses occurred from time to time. During the first half of this year, 23 major near misses occurred nationwide, involving the industries (sectors) such as coal mining, metal and non-metal mining, mine tailing dams, oil and gas fields, tunnel construction, chemical enterprises, storage, transportation and disposal of hazardous chemicals, fires and railways, which left over 3,000 persons in danger and evacuated, over 80 persons injured and hospitalized, and some farmlands and roads polluted to various extent.

II. Trend Analysis and Major Tasks on Work Safety for Second Half 2009

During the third quarter and the second half of this year, we will encounter a series of new conditions, problems and challenges on work safety. First, as the national economy stabilizes and recovers, market demand for energy and other raw materials, transport services, etc. will increase, making safety supervision more challenging than ever. Second, a lot of newly built, renovated and expanded projects, funded by the central and local governments in an effort to boost domestic consumption and drive economic growth, will collectively enter the phase of start of construction or commissioning, creating an arduous task on synchronizing the design, construction and commissioning of the safety facilities with the principal parts of the projects, as well as on construction safety supervision. Third, as the main flood period arrives, extreme weathers like rainstorms, hurricanes and high temperature will increase, exposing workplaces to potential threats of natural disasters like floods, mud-and-rock flows and mountain landslides. Fourth, during the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the capital city and other regions will host a series of large-scale celebration events, giving rise to a very difficult task on work safety supervision over public gathering places and the production, transportation and firing of fireworks.

During the third quarter and the second half of this year, we will highlight four major tasks:

(I) Conduct the three work safety campaigns in an in-depth manner, so as to build up momentum and achieve concrete results. We will take more realistic and effective measures to sharpen the work safety law enforcement and rectification campaigns. In response to those defiant, blatant, long-existing and evil-impacted violations, we will strike and outlaw the violators and come up with remedies on the spot. We will also resolutely curb the unhealthy practices and evil phenomena in some regions where violations go rampant and the officially-closed small mines and plants reopen without approval.

(II) Enhance workplace hazards screening, control, supervision and inspection, so as to spot hazards and solve problems. We will, in light of the Circular of the State Council Work Safety Committee on Conducting Workplace Hazards Screening, Control, Supervision and Inspection in a Centralized Manner, highlight the key industries, regions and enterprises to do a good job on the screening and control of hazards.

(III) Enhance work safety in respect of high temperature and rainy season, so as to effectively prevent and resolutely curb major accidents. Coal mining and other mining enterprises of various categories must update hydrological and geological data about their mine shafts to guard against water inrush or inundation. Safety monitoring and control over perilous, risky and faulty mine tailing dams should be strengthened; in case of rainstorm or continuous rain, special personnel should be assigned to watch on the spot for early detection of dangerous circumstances and timely responses where necessary. Industries and sectors such as hazardous chemicals, fireworks, construction and transportation should draw lessons from accidents which occurred in recent years and take effective measures to strengthen and improve work safety under high temperature and in rainy season.

(IV) Develop and implement safety precautions during the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and provide safety guarantee through realistic and detailed efforts.

(China.org.cn July 17, 2009)