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WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 1975
MORE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY REGULATIONS PLANNED
X X X X X X
MORE SAFETY REGULATIONS AIMED AT REDUCING THE LEVEL OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS ARE AT VARIOUS STAGES OF CONSIDERATION BY THE GOVERNMENT.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON, NEIL HENDERSON IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN.
OF THESE REGULATIONS, MR HENDERSON SAID, THE ONE OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE WOULD BE THE GUARDING OF MACHINERY REGULATION WHICH HE HOPED TO INTRODUCE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AFTER THE SUMMER RECESS.
HE NOTED, HOWEVER, THAT A REDUCTION IN OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENT RATES COULD ONLY RESULT FROM A MULTI-PRONGED ATTACK AND IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS. IT IS AN UNENDING PROCESS WHICH ULTIMATELY DEPENDS ON THE SAFETY CONSCIOUSNESS OF INDIVIDUALS, FROM BOARD CHAIRMEN TO WORKERS.+
LEGISLATIVE STEPS, HE WENT ON, MUST BE BACKED UP BY AN ACTIVE INSPECTORATE WITH A PRAGMATIC AND HELPFUL APPROACH CAPABLE OF GIVING CONSTRUCTIVE ADVICE, USING PROSECUTION ONLY WHERE CO-OPERATION CANNOT BE OBTAINED OR DEMONSTRABLE NEGLIGENCE HAS OCCURRED,
WORKING TOWARDS THIS GOAL, MR HENDERSON SAID AN ORGANISATION AND METHODS SURVEY HAD BEEN MADE ON THE WORK OF THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE LAST YEAR AND A REPORT HAD NOW BEEN RECEIVED.
THE BULK OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT, INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE OF FIELD INSPECTION TIME, WILL DE IMPLEMENTED DURING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. +THIS,+ HE SAID, +WILL GREATLY INCREASE THE COVERAGE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INSPECTORATE.+
IN ADDITION, HE SAID, A NUMBER OF REPORTS ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING OF THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE WERE NOW BEING PREPARED BY A LABOUR ADVISER FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM FACTORY INSPECTORATE.
+AS RESOURCES CAN BE ALLOCATED OR RE-ALLOCATED TO IMPLEMENT HIS RECOMMENDATIONS, I AM SURE THAT A MORE SUSTAINED AND WELL- DIRECTED OFFENSIVE TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS WILL BE DEVELOPED, HE SAID.
APART FROM THESE, THE DEPARTMENT'S DRIVE TO EDUCATE THE
PUBLIC OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY BY EXHIBITIONS, PUBLICITY AND INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING COURSES WAS BEGINNING TO BEAR FRUIT, AS REFLECTED BY THE APPOINTMENT OF SAFETY OFFICERS OR COMMITTEES BY EMPLOYERS' ORGANISATIONS.
IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION FROM MR. CHEONG-LEEN, MR. HENDERSON SAID 82 DEATHS AND 11,619 INJURIES RESULTED FROM
OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENTS (MOST OF THEM INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS) DURING THE PERIOD JANUARY 1 TO MAY 31 THIS YEAR.
THIS COMPARED WITH 99 FATAL AND 11,717 NON-FATAL ACCIDENTS IN THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR.
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