The Chinese government is planning to spend almost $60bn over the coming five years to cut the country`s high industrial accident rate. In 2005, around 127,000 people died in workplace accidents in China.

In its first five-year plan on workplace security, the Chinese government hopes to cut the death rate from 3.85 per 100,000 employees last year, to 2.8 by 2010. The death rate per 100m yuan ($12.5m) of GDP, is predicted to fall from 0.7 in 2005 to 0.45 by 2010.

The aims of the plan include:

• tackling local governments that have turned a blind eye to safety problems;

• providing more training on safe production;

• encouraging the reporting of illegal behaviour; and

• monitoring potential accidents.

A key target for the new investment is the coal mining industry where, last year, there were 17 incidents that claimed the lives of more than 30 people. There were 73 incidents with more than ten deaths, and the Government hopes to reduce this type of accident by at least 20%.

It aims to solve the problems of poor production conditions, frequent accidents, and poor management in mines within three years.