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SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1974
ACCIDENTS ON BUILDING SITES
CLAIM 21 LIVES
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THREE WORKERS WERE KILLED AND 488 INJURED LAST MONTH IN ACCIDENTS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES - THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SUCH INJURIES IN ANY MONTH SINCE LAST OCTOBER, AND THE SECOND HIGHEST FIGURE IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
THE TULL FOR THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THE YEAR WAS 21 DEAD AND 1,759 INJURED, COMPARED TO 13 KILLED AND 1,656 INJURED IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING OFFICER OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, MR. NICK CARTER SAID TODAY THAT 92 OF THE CONSTRUCTION SITE ACCIDENTS LAST MONTH WERE THE DIRECT RESULT OF THE MISUSE OF HAND TOOLS.
MR. CARTER POINTED OUT THAT HAND TOOL INJURIES RESULTED FROM THE USE OF TOOLS WHICH WERE DEFECTIVE OR UNSUITABLE, OR FROM UNSAFE METHODS OF USE.
+IN THEMSELVES, THESE TOOLS ARE INCAPABLE OF CAUSING ACCIDENTS, HE SAID. +ACCIDENTS INVOLVING HAND TOOLS ARISE FROM HUMAN FAILINGS FROM NEGLECT, SHEER CARELESSNESS, LACK OF COMMONSENSE, AND IGNORANCE OF SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.
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+TOO OFTEN THERE IS A FAILURE TO APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING HAND TOOLS IN GOOD CONDITION.
+ON ANY CONSTRUCTION SITE, ALL TOOLS SHOULD BE CHECKED DEFORE BEING ISSUED. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY'S WORK, TJOLS SHOULD BE RETURNED TO A CENTRAL TOOL STORE TO BE CLEANED, REPAIRED, SHARPENED AND LUBRICATED BEFORE RE-ISSUE.
+DAMAGED TOOLS SHOULD NEVER BE ISSUED FOR USE AT ANY TIME.+
MR. CARTER ADDED: +1 CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THAT ACCIDENT PREVENTION IS A TEAM EFFORT, NEITHER MANAGEMENT NOR WORKERS CAN AFFORD TO THINK IN TERMS OF 'THEM' AND 'US' IF THEY WANT TO PREVENT DEATHS AND INJURIES.
+WORK_SAFETY CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED WHEN MANAGMENT, SUPER- VISORY STAFF AND WORKERS MAKE A JOINT EFFORT.
+MANAGEMENT MUST PROVIDE THE CORRECT TOOLS FOR THE WORK= SUPERVISORY STAFF MUST ENSURE THAT THEY ARE PROPERLY USED AND MAINTAINED AND WORKERS MUST BE TRAINED IN THEIR SAFE AND EFFICIENT USE.+
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