Chinese migrant workers in high-risk industries will be given compulsory safety training, said an official with the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWA) in Beijing Friday.

A survey by SAWA in nine regions showed that migrant workers account for 56.02 percent of the workforce in the coal mining, metal, dangerous chemicals and fireworks industries.

The survey shows that the educational level of 28.33 percent of the workers in 64 state-owned coal mines is no higher than primary school level, and seven percent of them are illiterate or semi-illiterate. Only 13 percent of the workers went to senior middle school or received higher education.

Many of the migrant workers lack basic safety knowledge. These workers can be the cause as well as the victims of accidents, said the official.

SAWA statistics show that almost 80 percent of industrial accidents occur in small coal mines, firework factories and chemical industries where most employees are migrant workers.

"We will implement the new safety training procedures strictly. Workers in high-risk jobs will need a certificate before they begin work," said the official.

The official said that SAWA will design specific industrial safety policies and regulations with input from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Construction, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.

The administration is also looking at ways to strengthen supervision of occupational diseases and improve the distribution of safety equipment.

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2006)