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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1977.
PRESENT SYSTEM OF FACTORY INSPECTION EFFECTIVE
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THE COMMISSIONER OF LABOUR THE HON. IAN PRICE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT HE CONSIDERED THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF FACTORY INSPECTION EFFECTIVE.
HOWEVER, HE ADDED THAT HE WAS ALWAYS SEEKING MEANS OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF INSPECTION THROUGH RE-TRAINING OF INSPECTORS AND A CAREFUL WATCHING OF THEIR WORKLOAD.
MR. PRICE WAS REPLYING TO THE HON. LEUNG TAT-SHING WHO HAD ASKED THE INTERVALS AT WHICH FACTORIES ARE INSPECTED AND WHETHER THERE ARE SUFFICIENT FACTORY INSPECTORS AVAILABLE TO ENSURE THAT INSPECTIONS ARE CARRIED OUT EFFICIENTLY.
THE COMMISSIONER SAID: +UNDER A NEW SYSTEM OF INSPECTION RECOMMENDED BY THE ORGANISATION AND METHODS UNIT OF THE MANAGEMENT SERVICES OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, FACTORIES ARE INSPECTED BETWEEN ONCE AND FOUR TIMES A YEAR. ON AVERAGE EACH FACTORY IS VISITED TWICE A YEAR.+
HE RECALLED THAT IN A RECENT REPORT THE LABOUR ADVISER (FACTORIES), WHO WAS SECONDED FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM FACTORY INSPECTORATE, CONSIDERED THAT THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE GRADE, WHEN UP TO ITS FULL ESTABLISHMENT OF 119, WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE A SOUND INSPECTION SERVICE.
+AT PRESENT THE GRADE IS 18 UNDER STRENGTH BUT A RECRUITMENT EXERCISE IS ALREADY UNDERWAY, MR. PRICE SAID.
THE COMMISSIONER SAID HE HAD TAKEN STEPS TO IMPLEMENT A RECOMMENDATION BY THE LABOUR ADVISER THAT NEW RECRUITS TO THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST THREE YEARS' INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE.
BUT HE ADDED THAT EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INSPECTION ALSO DEPENDED ON THE RECEPTIVENESS OF MANAGEMENT TO ADVICE GIVEN.
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