A dama volunteer helps a policemen clean a corridor in Xicheng district, Beijing, Sept 23, 2013. [Photo/IC]

THE DEPUTY MAYOR of Wuhan, capital city of Central China's Hubei province, recently paid a visit to the companies that featured in local media reports because of their safety hazards, and found many of the problems had not been rectified. The lack of supervision and punishments for wrongdoers is to blame for this, says Jschina.com.cn :

All companies should seek to eliminate safety risks, and those found to have safety hazards should seek to eliminate them.

There are many things that hinder the elimination of safety hazards, which could lead to fatal accidents. Some company owners, lacking the necessary safety awareness and focusing solely on profit, may balk at the cost of eliminating safety hazards, even though these may also threaten a company's survival and future development. But the absence of supervision and punishments have also played a major role in the problems not being eradicated.

Any company without the necessary safety awareness and procedures is potentially risking lives. Therefore, companies that ignore safety should be shut down and held legally accountable.

Safety can only be guaranteed by institutional and legal enforcement. This is the only way that all companies will pay due attention to the elimination of risks to ensure safety.