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SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 1974
SAYS MR. TSAO: +WE WILL PROSECUTE WHENEVER AND AS OFTEN AS NECESSARY, BUT WE WOULD MUCH RATHER WIN THE CO-OPERATION OF THE INDUSTRY SO THAT PROSECUTION BECOMES UNNECESSARY.
+OF COURSE, SAFETY COSTS HONEY. BUT HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE VALUE OF A MAN'S LIFE?
+WE SIMPLY CANNOT ACCEPT THE ARGUMENT THAT BRITISH, AUSTRALIAN AND AMERICAN STANDARDS OF SAFETY CANNOT BE APPLIED IN HONG KONG.
+WE DON'T WANT TO SEE OUR BUILDINGS AS A PERMANENT MONUMENT TO THE WIDOWS AND CHILDREN OF WORKERS WHO HAVE DIED BUILDING THEM.+
THE MOST RECENT ACCIDENT FIGURES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ILLUSTRATE THE PROBLEM. IN THE SIX MONTHS ENDING JUNE, 28 CONSTRUCTION WORKERS DIED AND ANOTHER 2, 165 WERE INJURED IN HONG KONG. THE OVERALL PICTURE IS THAT EVERY FIFTH INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT VICTIM HAPPENS ON A BUILDING SITE.
FOR ALL THAT, THE DEPARTMENT'S SAFETY EXPERTS ARE NOT ENTIRELY PESSIMISTIC AND OFFER AS A HOPEFUL EXAMPLE THE NEW AIR CARGO TERMINAL BUILDING PROJECT AT KAI TAK AIRPORT.
THE HARBOUR ENGINEERING CO. LTD., A COMPARATIVE NEWCOMER TO THE FIELD, STARTED CONSTRUCTION OF THE 165 CAISSONS FOR THE NEW BUILDING SIX MONTHS AGO - AND IN THAT TIME HAVE NOT REPORTED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE $22 MILLION JOB.
THIS, SAY SAFETY OFFICERS, IS A REMARKABLE RECORD IN VIEW OF THE DANGER OF CAISSON WORK, WHERE MEN OFTEN WORK 150 FT. UNDERGROUND IN THE NARROW MAN-MADE CYLINDERS WHICH SUPPORT THE FOUNDATIONS OF SO HANY HONG KONG BUILDINGS.
THE CAISSON EXCAVATORS FACE DANGER FROM ESCAPING POISONOUS GAS, CAVE-INS, FLOODING, QUICKSAND AND FALLING OBJECTS.
THE INDUSTRY HAS LOST MANY WORKERS IN CAISSONS ONLY LAST APRIL TWO SUFFOCATED IN QUICKSAND AT THE BOTTOM OF A CAISSON AT WANGHAI. AND IN 1972, THERE WAS FEARFUL TRAGEDY ON A VICTOR JA ROAD SITE WHEN FOUR CAISSON WORKERS WERE KILLED BY ESCAPING CARBON DIOXIDE - THE LAST THREE LOSING THEIR LIVES IN RESCUE ATTEMPTS.
AT THE KAI TAK SITE, A SERIES OF MEASURES HAVE BEEN ADOPTED TO CUT DOWN THE RISK OF SUCH DISASTERS TO A MINIMUM. THE MEASURES WERE DESIGNED BY THE COMPANY'S 26-YEAR-OLD SITE ENGINEER MR. TANG SUN-TIN, WHO DISCUSSED HIS IDEAS WITH HIS FOREMEN AND KEY WORKERS BEFORE PUTTING THEM INTO OPERATION.
BEFORE WORK STARTED, A SYSTEM OF STEEL TUBES, WOODEN BATTENS AND TIMBER FRAMEWORK WAS INSTALLED IN STRATEGIC PARTS OF THE WORKING AREA TO. PREVENT SEEPAGE OP WATER AND GAS AND TO STRENGTHEN THE WALLS AGAINST COLLAPSE.
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