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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1978
MORE COMPENSATION AWARDED TO INJURED WORKERS
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THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION UNIT OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT SUCCEEDED IN RECOVERING $23.5 MILLION IN COMPENSATION LAST YEAR FOR WORKERS INJURED AT WORK OR FOR DEPENDANTS OF THOSE KILLED IN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS,
THE COMPENSATION WAS AWARDED IN 33,675 CASES COMPLETED BY THE UNIT LAST YEAR AS AGAINST $21,791,393 IN 35,111 CASES IN 1976.
ON AVERAGE THE AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION AWARDED IN A CASE WENT UP FROM $620 IN 1976 TO $700 IN 1977, AN INCREASE OF 13 PER CENT.
OF THE NUMBER OF CASES COMPLETED, THERE WERE 84 FATAL ONES IN 1977 AS AGAINST 93 IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
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LAST YEAR THERE WERE 49,854 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, INCLUDING 265 FATAL ONES REPORTED TO THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT COMPARED WITH 45,057 CASES (249 FATAL) IN 1976.
A LABOUR DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ACCOUNTED FOR THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS (11,916) LAST YEAR, FOLLOWED BY TEXTILE (4,805) AND METAL PRODUCTS (4,177).
ACCIDENTS BY CAUSE AT PLACE OF WORK SHOWED THAT POWER-DRIVEN MACHINERY WAS AGAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ALL REPORTED INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, ACCOUNTING FOR 9,376 CASES. THE OTHER CAUSES INCLUDED TRANSPORT, EXPLOSION OR FIRE, HOT OR CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES, ELECTRICITY AND FALLING OBJECTS,
THE SPOKESMAN EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND CALLED ON BOTH THE MANAGEMENT AND WORKERS TO CONSTANTLY CHECK THEIR MACHINERY. HE POINTED OUT THAT AN INVESTIGATION OF 105 FATAL ACCIDENTS DURING 1977 REVEALED THAT THEY COULD ALL HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE MANAGEMENT AND WORKERS INVOLVED TAKEN APPROPRIATE MEASURES.
IN ITS CONTINUOUS EFFORTS TO PROMOTE WORKMEN'S SAFETY, THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S FACTORY INSPECTORATE PAID 32,540 VISITS TO INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS LAST YEAR IN RESPECT OF THE ENFORCEMENT OF SAFETY, HEALTH AND RELATED REGULATIONS PROVIDED IN THE LABOUR LEGISLATION.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE DEPARTMENT'S INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE OFFERED 214 TRAINING COURSES ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TO 5,679 PEOPLE FREE OF CHARGE. A SIX-WEEK TRAINING COURSE FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY OFFICERS WAS ALSO HELD.
IN ADDITION, THE CENTRE ORGANISED 27 SAFETY TRAINING COURSES FOR THREE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRES. INDUSTRIAL SAFETY LECTURES WERE GIVEN TO 250 SCHOOL STUDENTS.
THE CENTRE ALSO WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION AND THE RED CROSS SOCIETY TO PROVIDE FIRST-AID TRAINING COURSES TO WORKERS. DURING THE YEAR, A TOTAL OF 181 PEOPLE WERE QUALIFIED AS FIRST-AIDERS IN SUCH COURSES.
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