THURSDAY, JULY 26, 1979
+WE CANNOT AFFORD TO WASTE THIS PRECIOUS COMMODITY (WORKERS) IN ACCIDENTS WHICH CAN BE AVOIDED, HE ASSERTED.
SIR DENYS PLACED THE MAIN RESPONSIBILITY FOR PREVENTING INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS ON THE EMPLOYER, ALTHOUGH THE WORKER ALSO HAD A PART TO PLAY BY TAKING SENSIBLE PRECAUTIONS AND BY MAKING FULL USE OF SAFETY MEASURES.
+BUT ALL TOO OFTEN, NOT ENOUGH IS DONE BY THE EMPLOYER TO PROVIDE SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK AND PROPER SAFEGUARDS AGAINST INJURY, HE LAMENTED.
SIR DENYS SAID THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S FACTORY INSPECTORATE HAD BEEN DOING ITS BEST TO ENFORCE SAFETY REGULATIONS BY ADVICE, WARNING AND, IF NECESSARY, BY PROSECUTION.
SPEAKING OF PROSECUTIONS, HE OBSERVED THAT IT MIGHT WELL BE THAT THE LEVEL OF FINES HAD NOT PROVED A SUFFICIENT DETERRENT TO IRRESPONSIBLE EMPLOYERS.
HE TOLD THE GATHERING + CAN ASSURE YOU THAT, IF AN OFFENCE BECOMES SO PREVALENT, SO INJURIOUS TO THE COMMUNITY IN ITS EFFECTS, OR SO SERIOUS IN ITS CONSEQUENCES TO INDIVIDUALS, THAT STERNER PUNISHMENTS ARE WARRANTED, THE COURTS ARE NOT DEAF TO THESE CONSIDERATIONS.
+BUT THESE FACTORS MUST BE PUT CLEARLY BEFORE THEM, WITH THE NECESSARY. STATISTICAL AND OTHER EVIDENCE TO CONVINCE THEM OF THE EXTENT AND SERIOUSNESS OF THE MISCHIEF WITH WHICH THEY ARE DEALING.
+IF THIS IS DONE, THE COURTS, WILL, I HAVE NO DOUBT, GIVE FULL WEIGHT TO THESE FACTORS WHEN DETERMINING THE SENTENCE TO BE IMPOSED AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE CONDUCT IN QUESTION SHOULD BE DETERRED BY HEAVIER PENALTIES.+
NOTING THAT MOST ACCIDENTS COULD BE PREVENTED, SIR DENYS EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE EXHIBITION WOULD HELP TO REDUCE SUBSTANTIALLY THE PRESENT UNACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF INDUSTRIAL INJURIES.
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EARLIER, THE ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. J.C.A. HAMMOND, SAID HIS DEPARTMENT, IN PARTICULAR THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE, HAD BEEN INTENSIFYING ITS EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS DURING THE PAST YEAR.
THIS EXHIBITION IS BUT ONE OF THE MEANS BY WHICH WE ARE HOPING TO EDUCATE AND PERSUADE BOTH EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO SAFETY IN THEIR FACTORIES AND ON CONSTRUCTION SITES, HE ADDED.
FOLLOWING THE OPENING CEREMONY, SIR DENYS AND GUESTS TOURED THE EXHIBITION AND VIEWED MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT ON DISPLAY DEMONSTRATING GOOD STANDARDS OF MACHINERY GUARDING, SAFE PLACES OF WORK AND SAFE WORKING PRACTICES.
THE 11-DAY EXHIBITION, WHICH SEEKS TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON MACHINE GUARDING, NOISE HAŽARDS, SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION AND CONFINED SPACE AND THE SAFE USE OF ELECTRICITY AND INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS, IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FREE OF CHARGE BETWEEN 10.30 A.M. AND 7.30 P.M. DAILY FROM TOMORROW UNTIL AUGUST 6.
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