187 die daily at work. That's an improvement

Workplace accidents in China left 33,876 people dead in the first half of the year, the country's work safety watchdog said yesterday, as the nation vowed to improve its industrial safety record.

The number of fatal workplace accidents was 4,174 fewer than in 2009, an 11-percent year-on-year drop, officials from the State Administration of Work Safety said in Beijing.

Looked at differently, there were about 187 deaths every day in the first half of 2010.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, issued a circular yesterday urging local governments and ministries to strengthen work safety through improved safety supervision.

"Although the number of workplace accidents is decreasing year on year, the situation remains very grave," said the circular, which was posted on the central government's official website.

The State Council vowed to improve workplace safety, particularly in mines, transportation and construction industries.

Further, state-owned mine officials and private mine owners must work underground with miners, and those who do not will be fined, the circular said.

Mine concerns

Also, all mines must utilize appropriate safety equipment, including position locating systems for miners working underground and emergency telecommunication devices, the circular said.

Additionally, the Chinese government is to create national rescue teams in coal-producing regions with the support of the central budget, said the circular.

China will also raise the level of compensation for victims of workplace accidents, said the circular. According to a new plan, a family of a worker who dies in a workplace accident can get 20 times the urban per capita disposable income of the previous year in one-off compensation.

Previously, except for an allowance package, each family only received 48 to 60 times the local average monthly wage of the previous year, which was 150,000 yuan (US$22,100), at most.

According to China's income level last year, the new scheme would bring the one-off compensation level up to at least 343,500 yuan, and combined with the allowance package, a family could receive at least 618,000 yuan in compensation.

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