BEIJING -- The Supreme People's Court called for courts at all levels to strongly deal with crimes related to work safety in a Wednesday statement.

Major and sensitive criminal cases related to work safety may be handed over to higher level courts in accordance with the law, the statement said.

In line with a related supreme court regulation, courts at all levels should harshly punish government employees whose corruption results in work safety accidents, it said.

Severe penalties will also be given to those who allow work safety violations, as well as violators who do not effectively implement damage control measures after accidents occur or initiate rescue efforts in a timely manner, it added. Work safety has become a hot topic in China following a series of recent workplace accidents. On June 3, a poultry plant fire in Northeast China's Jilin province left 121 people dead and 77 injured.