China’s head of the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) urged the public and media to help supervise the country's work safety by reporting accidents and illegal acts in production, China Daily reports.

"Reports of workplace accidents from the public and media would be a strong support to ensuring work safety," Li Yizhong said at a work safety forum held in Beijing on Saturday.

Rewards for reporting accidents should continue to be raised, and punishment of relevant personnel in major accidents should be publicized timely to facilitate public supervision, said Li.

"Let there be no hiding place for any accident on this vast 9.6-million-square-kilometer land," said Li.

A new regulation on the reporting and investigation of workplace accidents that came into effect June 1 says any institution or individual is entitled to report accidents or illegal acts in investigations to SAWS or other relevant departments, and those who receive the reporting should address the problems in accordance with laws and regulations.

Li said the SAWS is obliged to investigate any of the accidents exposed by media or on the Internet.

Coal mine accidents killed 4,746 people in China in 2006.