China moves to improve construction safety conditions

BEIJING — China will channel more energy into improving safety conditions in the construction sector as the number of accidents at construction sites has been on the rise during recent years.

The Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) said it will toughen safety supervision, including better on-site management and more efforts to eliminate safety hazards, to curb the growing trend of accidents. Construction companies will be urged to shoulder their responsibilities.

The construction sector has seen the most workplace accidents of all industries, including manufacturing, mining, and trade, for nine consecutive years, with the figure up 4.3 percent in the year to date.

The MEM data showed building collapses, falls from heights, and tower crane and lifter accidents were the most common types of accidents.

Workplace safety risks are expected to remain high in the coming months as more construction projects have broken ground since June, the MEM said. Given a steady economy, the total number of employees in the construction sector continued to grow for five straight years in 2017.