The National Video and Telephone Conference on Workplace Safety was held in Beijing on November 29th. Zhang Guoqing, Chinese Vice Premier and Head of the Work Safety Committee of the State Council, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. It was chaired by Wang Xiaohong, State Councilor and Deputy Head of the Committee. Weng Zuliang, Party Group Secretary and Chairman of China Minmetals, and Guo Wenqing, President and Deputy Party Group Secretary of China Minmetals attended the conference via video link.

At the conference, it is emphasized to thoroughly implement the important instructions from General Secretary Xi Jinping, and fulfill the requirements by Premier Li Qiang. To be specific, all governments and companies should deeply learn the lessons of recent accidents, strictly control the security risks in key industries, step up moves and efforts to eliminate hazards, and take solid measures to ensure work safety and prevent the major and extremely serious accidents at the end of 2023.

According to the conference, it is necessary to accurately assess the real safety conditions in mines and vigorously promote safety rectification measures. A comprehensive inspection of both underground and surface areas of mines should be carried out, addressing safety concerns comprehensively. Swift action is required to eliminate safety hazards such as hanging baskets in bathhouses. The conference also called for intensified efforts in addressing major disasters in mines and sternly cracking down on behaviors such as over-extraction, illegal mining, and attempts to evade supervision. Besides, special attention should be paid to important venues including commercial complexes, high-rise buildings, "nine types of small public places (including restaurants、factory, shopping mall, entertainment place, school or kindergarten, hotel, public baths, hospital)", "factories within factories (independent small factories within a large factory)," self-constructed buildings for business purposes, as well as key places such as hospitals, schools, and nursing homes. It called for a comprehensive approach to fire hazard identification, rectification, regulatory enforcement, and fire prevention education, aiming to decisively curb the trend of frequent fire incidents. In accordance with the characteristics of winter climate, it is required to strengthen safety control in key areas, from hazardous chemicals to transportation and construction.

At the same time, it is outlined that efforts should be made to maintain a focus on on-site inspections, delve into specific issues during professional examinations, take decisive actions to drive rectification, and rigorously enforce safety management at the frontline positions. According to the conference, measures should be taken to further strengthen regulatory responsibilities, implement strict management over regulatory and supervisory teams, intensify efforts in addressing root causes, and accelerate the consolidation of the foundation for workplace safety.

Chen Jianguang, Party Group Member and Senior Vice President of China Minmetals, along with the Head of the Security and Environmental Protection Department, participated in the conference via video link.