BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China's workplace safety improved in the first four months of the year, with fewer accidents and resulting deaths, new data showed Thursday.

The number of accidents dropped 16.1 percent year on year in the first four months, while the death toll from those accidents dropped 11.7 percent, the Ministry of Emergency Management said in a statement.

Among 12 key sectors tracked by the ministry, seven saw year-on-year declines in both the number of accidents and the number of deaths, while the air transport sector reported no accidents.

The improvement came as the country stepped up supervision and law enforcement, with the total monetary amount of administrative penalties issued up 34.1 percent from a year ago.

A total of 2,109 companies were ordered to suspend production for overhauls, up 7.9 percent, the ministry said.

As high temperatures and summer rain weigh on work safety, the ministry said local authorities should reinforce the crackdown on violations of laws and regulations, and raise emergency response capacity to protect people's lives and property.