BEIJING, Feb. 21 -- The rigid workplace death toll limit system is not expected to reduce deaths, says a commentary in Yanzhao Metropolis News. An excerpt follows:

    The State Administration of Work Safety has set four mortality limits for production safety, in which concrete death caps are listed for production of different industries. An official from the department argued that the system would reduce the death toll in the workplace.

    However, it remains doubtful whether the death capping system can play its expected role in promoting safe production and reducing casualties.

    In fact, we should not depend on such a system to push work safety. An excessive reliance on it is actually a reflection of the twisted political achievement concept of related departments. When such a limit is imposed, some may try to hide the truth and fabricate death tolls to avoid failure, to meet the target and help the political career of local officials.

    The key to maintaining mine safety is strict implementation of daily safety management standards and increased safety input.

    Take Britain. The country's "zero death" record kept for many years in the mining industry is closely related with its serious implementation of safe production procedures and measures. In China, some small collieries secretly operate without any operation permits and some are allowed to operate even though they cannot reach safe production standards.

    Without strengthening safe production laws and measures, a "scientific" death limit system will not ensure safer production.

    How to deal with the huge casualties in the mining industry does pose a pressing question. To try to reduce death tolls in the mining industry, safety input, effective supervision and management must be strengthened. This is the ultimate solution.

    A rigid death toll capping system to help reduce mortality is not the way out.

    
(Source: China Daily)