BEIJING - China uncovered 4.17 million safety hazards in checks of 1.98 million work units in the first quarter of 2012, according to new figures from a national watchdog.

The nationwide checks, which targeted industrial and mining enterprises and the transportation sector, detected 2,750 major risks, the Work Safety Committee of the State Council announced on Wednesday.

Some 96.3 percent of the cited dangers have been corrected, according to the committee.

It acknowledged severe challenges in the country's work safety improvement efforts as the units that have been scrutinized in this round of inspection comprise just 16.7 percent of the total number of such enterprises, indicating the existence of many more risks that have not been spotted.

The committee cited a lack of safety awareness, poor regulation, loose implementation and slow clear-up efforts by some work units as major problems facing.

Despite the government's regular calls for more focus on work safety, the country still sees frequent tragedies caused by potential hazards. In the mining sector alone, 289 people have been killed in colliery accidents in the first quarter.