WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1976
ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR VISITS MTR SITES
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THE ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. NEIL HENDERSON TODAY (WEDNESDAY) VISITED TWO MAJOR MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY TUNNELLING PROJECTS IN KOWLOON.
HE SAW THE TAI HANG TUNG ROAD SITE, WHERE THE KUMAGAI GUMI CO. IS BORING A PAIR OF TUNNELS BETWEEN LOK FU AND SHEK KIP MEI STATIONS.
AT THE SECOND SITE IN WANG TAU HOM EAST ROAD, METRO JOINT VENTURE ARE CONSTRUCTING TUNNELS FROM DIAMOND HILL TO LOK FU. MR. HENDERSON WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE MTR ACTING PROJECT DIRECTOR, MR. GEOFFREY SHUTT.
BECAUSE OF THE SOIL FEATURES AT BOTH SITES, COMPRESSED AIR WILL BE USED AS WORK PROGRESSES. REGULATIONS GOVERNING WORKING CONDITION IN COMPRESSED AIR WERE RECENTLY BROUGHT INTO EFFECT AND ARE OF CONCERN TO THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT AND MR. HENDERSON SHOWED SPECIAL INTEREST IN THIS ASPECT OF THE WORK.
HE LEARNED THAT SENIOR STAFF FROM BOTH THE CONTRACTORS HAD ATTENDED A SEMINAR ON WORK SAFETY IN COMPRESSED AIR AT THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE.
MR. HENDERSON SAID HE WAS GLAD TO SEE THE CONTRACTORS AT BOTH SITES GIVE FULL BACKING TO THE DEPARTMENT'S REGULATIONS AND ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE WORK SAFETY. HE WAS PARTICULARLY PLEASED THAT THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY HAD APPOINTED TWO SAFETY OFFICERS FOR THE WHOLE SCHEME.
+ INVESTMENT IN SAFETY AND TIME TAKEN TO ATTEND OUR COURSES WILL PAY OFF IN MINIMIZING DAMAGE TO HUMAN LIFE AND EQUIPMENT AND IN GETTING THE JOB COMPLETED IN TIME,+ HE SAID.
+WITH CONTRACTORS AND EMPLOYEES TAKING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TO WORK SAFETY THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY WILL, I AM CONFIDENT, PROGRESS SMOOTHLY, HE ADDED.
EXPRESSING REGRET THAT THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY HAD SUFFERED ITS FIRST FATAL ACCIDENT YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) ON ANOTHER SITE AT CHOI HUNG, WHEN A WOMAN WORKER FELL DOWN A CAISSON, MR. HENDERSON SAID IT UNDERLINED THE DANGERS INVOLVED IN ANY MAJOR CONSTRUCTION WORK.
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