China vows full disclosure for major workplace accidents

China's top work safety authority said on Friday that it has required local departments at all levels to strengthen the transparency of workplace accident investigations by making more information available to the public. Investigation reports for extremely serious work safety accidents should be posted in full on the State Administration of Work Safety's website in a timely manner, according to a circular published by the administration. The safety watchdog also vowed to apply the same standard for other types of workplace accidents by the end of 2014, including major work safety accidents and those on a smaller scale but whose investigations are overseen by the central government, according to Friday's circular. In China, state probes into major accidents are often criticized for their insufficient transparency, a phenomenon that has undermined government credibility. China has moved to build a service-oriented government by kicking off reforms in areas related to government functions, including delegating administrative power to lower levels and outsourcing more public services to private organizations.