Shanghai remains a safe place in its daily operations according to a report released by Tongji University yesterday, which rates the city’s overall response system to public emergencies and risks.

The report, namely a blue paper on Shanghai’s operational safety and development from 2016 to 2018, is the first focusing on the city’s functional safety.

The report’s findings are based on research by experts at Tongji University’s Institute for Urban Risk Management and more than 20 government departments and enterprises.

According to the report, Shanghai maintains very high safety levels in terms of hazardous chemicals, fire prevention and facility operation, and high safety levels for special equipment, urban construction and natural disasters.

Compared with 2013 to 2015, the fatality rate of accidents in the city has dropped nearly 60 percent.

By 2018, a total of 33 local policies on operational safety and 58 government regulations had been issued to ensure the city’s safe functioning.

The report also points out that typhoons and storms remain the biggest threats to Shanghai, a coastal city, and inspections for hidden problems still need to be improved.

To prevent floods and seawater backflow, the city has launched its “sponge city” concept, the Suzhou Creek drainage system and embankment projects, among others.

Apart from natural disasters, fall from highrises is the most likely type of accident to cause casualties.

There were more than 39,000 highrises in Shanghai by 2018, the highest being 632 meters, while the deepest underground level reaches 50 meters.

Shanghai also has 13,000 buildings installed with glass curtain walls, the aging of which may cause falling risks. More safety-testing methods and standards need to be developed for the walls.

The blue paper will be released every year in June and an edition for 2019 and 2020 is planned to include analysis of public health, social security and the environment.