Good crisis management

On Saturday, the State Administration of Work Safety published the full text of its investigative report on the oil pipeline explosion in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Nov 22, which killed 62 people and left 136 injured. The report elaborates, among other things, what actually happened, the emergency response to the blast and those responsible for it.

Key information on the explosion had been released earlier and there was no need for the details to follow. At least, that is how similar events were tackled in the past. But this time, the investigation was wrapped up with full disclosure of the findings, signifying the breakthrough in crisis management, said a Beijing Times commentary on Sunday.

In handling high-profile accidents like the one in Qingdao, authorities should never close a case by just offering a simple explanation, because people are keen to see the responsible parties punished and hope that a mechanism is put in place to prevent similar accidents. The full text of the investigative report does not only address the major concerns of the public, but also proposes precautionary measures to prevent such accidents.