1st LD Writethru-China Focus: Xi urges production safety after "blood lessons"

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for measures to stem the frequent occurrence of accidents arising from production safety risks in the country.

Xi's remarks were carried in a statement released Wednesday after a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and after the collapse of a large pile of construction waste in south China's Guangdong Province killed at least 58 people last month.

"These blood lessons have warned us that public safety should never be taken lightly... and responsibilities for production safety must be spelled out and fulfilled," Xi said.

He stressed that human factors are always behind production accidents, citing negligence, lack of safety checks, inadequate laws and regulations, slack law enforcement, ineffective supervision and incompetent emergency responses.

According to Xi, all Party and government departments should be responsible for safety, and strengthened supervision and improved safety standards are needed in industrial parks, ports and other key production sites.

He called for updated laws in the area and for lawful methods to be used in enforcing supervision and handle accidents.

The president suggested industries prone to major accidents should adopt a classification-based risk management system and pay equal attention to risk prevention, correction and emergency rescues so as to reduce casualties and property losses to the utmost.

Xi cited urban construction projects, outdated houses, glass walls, waste sites, mines, gas pipes, underground tunnels, dangerous chemicals, firecrackers, traffic and mass celebration activities as key fields to look out for.

He also singled out stampedes for particular attention after the Shanghai crush that killed 36 on the eve of 2015 New Year.

In August, two explosions in a warehouse storing hazardous chemicals ripped through nearby residences in Tianjin. The blast claimed 173 lives, including 104 firefighters.

Investigations into both incidents laid the blame at the feet of negligent officials.

"The current production safety situation is still grave and we must take it seriously and stay on constant alert," said Li Keqiang in a written instruction also made public Wednesday, the day 11 people were trapped underground following a coal mine cave-in in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Li called for more effective measures and better regulations to pin down the safety responsibilities for all companies, supervisors, Party and government officials concerned, promising harsh punishment for negligence leading to accidents. Endi