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MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1975
TIGHTER CONTROL OVER GUARDING OF
DANGEROUS MACHINERY
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SPECIAL REGULATIONS WHICH WILL TIGHTEN CONTROL OVER THE GUARDING OF DANGEROUS MACHINERY ARE DEING DRAFTED IN AN ATTEMPT TO CUT DOWN ON THE LARGE NUMBER OF FACTORY ACCIDENTS, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LAFOUR, MR. IAN PRICE SAID TODAY.
IN A LUNCHEON SPEECH TO THE HONG KONG COTTON SPINNERS' ASSOCIATION, MR. PRICE`PUINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE ABOUT 85 OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDCUTS A DAY IN 1973 AND 1974, MORE THAN 20 PER CENT OF WHICH WERE CAUSED BY MACHINERY,
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EVEN MINOR ACCIDENTS WERE COSTLY, MR. PRICE SAID, AND IN 1974 THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY HAD PAID OUT AT LEAST TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION.
+THIS FIGURE REPRESENTS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG IN TERMS OF THE TOTAL COST OF ACCIDENTS IF ONE TAKES INTO ACCOUNT ALSO LOSS OF PRODUCTION, INTERRUPTION OF WONK FLOV, POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO RAW MATERIALS AND MACHINERY AND THE HEED TO TRAIN REPLACEMENT STAFF,+ HE WENT ON.
UNDER EXISTING REGULATION 23 OF THE FACTOR FES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS ORDINANCE, PROPRIETORS OF REGISTRABLE WORKPLACES MUST FENCE +ALL DANGEROUS PARTS OF THE MACHINERY,+
THE NEW REGULATION WOULD DESCRIDE IN DETAIL DANGEROUS PARTS OF MACHINERY AND SHOULD PROVE TO BE MUCH MORE HELPFUL TO INDUSTRIALISTS THAN THE PRESENT BROAD AND GENERALIGED DESCRIPTION.
+BY IDENTIFYING, IN THE REGULATIONS, THOSE PARTS OF MACHINERY WHICH MUST DE GUARDED, I CONSIDER THAT MUCH BETTER PROGRESS SHOULD DE MADE IN REDUCING THE NUMBER OF MACHINERY ACCIDENTS.+
HE SAID A SIMILAR APPROACH WOULD BE ADOPTED IN THE REQUIREMENTS FOR GUARDS. +1 INTEND TO SPECIFY SOME FIVE DIFFERENT METHODS OF GUARDING MACHINERY, BUT WILL LEAVE TO THE INDIVIDUAL PROPRIETOR THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHICH METHOD, OR COMBINATION OF METHODS, HE SHOULD ADOPT.+
TOUCHING ON THE STANDARDS OF PROTECTION ON IMPORTED MACHINERY, THE COMMISSIONER SAID +1 CANNOT IMPOSE SAFETY STANDARDS ON THOSE WHO MAKE MACHINERY IN OTHER PANTS OF THE WORLD. YOU, HOWEVER, AS USERS OF THE MACHINERY IN HONG KONG WILL BE SUBJECT TO THIS NEW LEGISLATION.+
+MAY ! THEREFORE ASK YOU, WHEN ORDERING NEW MACHINERY FROM ABROAD, TO EXENCILE PARTICULAR CARE IN INSISTING ON THE PROVISION BY THE MANUFACTURER OF PROPER GUARDS ? YOUR INFLUENCE AND POWER, AS THE PAYING CUSTOMER IN AN INTENSELY COMPETITIVE MARKET, CAN ACHIEVE KUCH IN THIS RESPECT, HE ADDED.
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MR. PRICE WENT ON TO SAY THAT DRAFTING OF THE NEW REGULATIONS WAS NOU FAIRLY FAR ADVANCED AND THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD HAD ALREADY AGREED TO THEIR PRINCIPLES.
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