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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1974
CONSTRUCTION COST SHOULD INCLUDE HUMAN SUFFERING
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A REMINDER THAT THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS COULD. BE MEASURED IN LIVES AND INJURIES AS WELL AS CASH WAS GIVEN TODAY BY MR. WILLIAM BELL, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.
ADDRESSING THE OPENING OF THE CONFERENCE ON ACCIDENT PREVENTION IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, ORGANISED BY THE JARDINE INSURANCE LTD.. MR. BELL SAID THAT PEOPLE WERE INCLINED TO SPEAK ALL TOO GLIBLY OF THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION WORK IN TERMS ONLY OF DOLLARS.
HE NOTED THAT PERHAPS THERE WOULD BE A GREATER AWARENESS OF THE TRUE COST IF IT WERE COMPULSORY FOR STATISTICS OF INDUSTRIAL INJURIES TO BE PUBLISHED ON COMPLETION OF ANY PROJECT.
+IF INSTEAD OF PROUDLY ANNOUNCING THAT OUR NEW BUILDING, BRIDGE OR HIGHWAY HAD COST $X MILLION TO BUILD, WE HAD TO ANNOUNCE THAT IT HAD COST $X MILLION, THREE LIVES AND TWENTY PERMANENT DISABILITIES, WE MIGHT ALL THINK MORE SERIOUSLY ABOUT CONSTRUCTION SITE SAFETY,+ HE SAID.
EVEN IF THERE ARE THOSE EMPLOYERS AND DEVELOPERS WHO ARE UNMOVED BY THE PERSONAL TRAGEDIES OF OTHERS, HE WENT ON, THEY WOULD STILL BE FORCED TO COUNT THE COST OF COMPENSATION AND TO IMPROVE THEIR SAFETY RECORD ON THAT SCORE ALONE.
PART OF THE CONFERENCE, MR. BELL NOTED, WOULD BE DEVOTED TO DISCUSSION OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION SITE SAFETY REGULATIONS WHICH CAME INTO FORCE IN MAY.
+I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT YOU WILL EXPRESS YOUR OPINIONS ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THEY GO TOO FAR OR WHETHER THEY HAVE NOT GONE FAR ENOUGH. MY OWN VIEW IS THAT THEY ARE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.+
TURNING TO SCAFFOLDING - AN ITEM NOT YET COVERED BY THE REGULATIONS, HE SAID THAT HE HAD NOTHING AGAINST BAMBOO SCAFFOLDING, WHICH WAS STRONG, VERSATILE AND MOST SKILFULLY ERECTED.+
BUT HE FELT THAT WHEREAS THE SCAFFLODERS WERE PAID FOR BOTH SKILL AND DANGER, THIS DID NOT APPLY TO THE PLASTERERS, PAINTERS, TILERS AND OTHER WORKMEN WHO HAVE TO CARRY OUT THEIR WORK ON THE OUTSIDE OF BUILDINGS STRADDLED PRECARIOUSLY ACROSS A SINGLE BAMBOO POLE TWENTY STOREYS ABOVE THE GROUND.+
/MR. BELL CONTINUED .....
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