Li Yizhong, head of the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), urged the public and media to help supervise the country's work safety by reporting accidents and illegal acts in production.

"Reports of workplace accidents from the public and media would be a strong support to ensuring work safety," Li said at a work safety forum held on Sunday.

Rewards for reporting accidents should continue to be raised, and punishment of relevant personnel in major accidents should be publicized timely to facilitate public supervision, said Li.

"Let there be no hiding place for any accident on this vast 9.6-million-square-kilometer land," he said.

A new regulation on the reporting and investigation of workplace accidents which comes into effect on June 1 says any institution or individual is entitled to reporting accidents or illegal acts in investigation to SAWS or other relevant departments, and those who receive the reporting should address the problems in time and in accordance with laws and regulations.

Li said earlier the SAWS is obliged to investigate into any of the accidents exposed by media or on the Internet.

Coal mine accidents killed 4,746 people in China in 2006.

Li said the country has launched a nationwide campaign in May to identify and address safety loopholes in sectors such as coal mines, transportation, toxic chemicals and construction in a bid to curb accidents.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2007)