China campaign to address work safety

BEIJING -- China's work safety authority will run a nationwide work safety inspection campaign from August to the end of December to prevent accidents, it announced on Thursday.

In a statement to local governments, the State Council Work Safety Commission said the campaign will target accident-prone industries, including mining, hazardous chemicals, oil and gas transmission, transportation, and construction.

For mining, inspectors will focus on unlicensed mining businesses, falsification of drawing sheets and mining activities beyond authorized zones.

Inspectors will also address the problem of damage to oil and gas pipelines, punishing anyone engaged in unauthorized construction and drilling near pipelines.

The spotlight will also fall on illegal passenger transport including providing commuting services without licenses, speeding and overloading, driving while tired and transgressions of long-distance overnight coaches.

Other targets of the inspection include illegal transportation of hazardous chemicals, contracting construction projects to unqualified teams and blocking evacuation passages.

China has seen several safety accidents recently. A van loaded with alcohol rear-ended a passenger coach earlier this month in central China's Hunan Province, killing 43 people and injuring six.