MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1979
PARTICIPATION AND CO-OPERATION OF MANAGEMENT AND WORKERS
ESSENTIAL TO INDUSTRIAL SAFETY
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THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN DOING ITS BEST TO REDUCE INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS BUT THE BATTLE CANNOT BE WON WITHOUT THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION AND CO-OPERATION OF THE MANAGEMENT AND WORKERS.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S CHIEF FACTORY INSPECTOR, MR. CHAN SIU-LAP, IN A TALK TO THE HONG KONG INSURERS CLUB TODAY (MONDAY).
HE SAID THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROVIDING AND MAINTAINING A SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT RESTED SQUARELY ON EMPLOYERS, AND IT WAS A MISCONCEPTION TO BLAME THE DEPARTMENT'S FACTORY INSPECTORATE FOR EVERY INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED IN HONG KONG.
MR. CHAN STRESSED THAT IT WAS NECESSARY FOR EVERYONE WORKERS ON THE SHOP FLOOR TO THE DIRECTORS IN THE BOARDROOM TO MAKE SAFETY A WAY OF LIFE.
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+ IF THE MANAGEMENT WOULD EXERCISE THE SAME DEGREE OF CONTROL ON SAFETY PERFORMANCE, AS THEY WOULD IN RESPECT OF QUALITY OR BUDGETARY CONTROL, THEN HALF OF THE BATTLE IS WON. BUT ALL TOO OFTEN, SAFETY IS SLACKENED UNDER PRESSURE OF OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, + HE ADDED.
MR. CHAN CALLED ON MEMBERS OF THE CLUB TO PLAY A PROMINENT PART IN PROMOTING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY BY, AS IN OTHER COUNTRIES, OFFERING FINANCIAL INCENTIVES IN THE FORM OF REDUCTION IN INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR ESTABLISHMENTS WITH GOOD SAFETY PERFORMANCE.
THEY COULD ALSO ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT BY MAKING SAFETY INSPECTIONS BEFORE ACCEPTING AN INSURANCE COVER.
EARLIER, MR. CHAN POINTED OUT THAT THE NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS HAD BEEN ON THE INCREASE SINCE 1974, AND SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION,
LAST YEAR ALONE, THERE WERE 39,242 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS INVOLVING 141 FATALITIES.
THE TOTAL LOSS FROM INDUSTRIAL AND OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENTS LAST YEAR ACCOUNTED FOR 624,792 LOST MAN-DAYS AND $26,160,673 WAS PAID OUT AS COMPENSATION UNDER THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ORDINANCE. THIS DID NOT INCLUDE THE HIDDEN COSTS WHICH COULD BE AS MUCH AS FOUR TIMES MORE THAN THE COMPENSATION, MR. CHAN SAID.
IN PROMOTING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND PREVENTING ACCIDENTS. MR. CHAN SAID, THE INSPECTORATE HAD BEEN PURSUING A POLICY WHICH EMPHASISED ADVICE AND EDUCATION.
PROSECUTION WAS RESORTED TO IN CASES OF SERIOUS HAZARD OR DISREGARD TO WARNINGS. LAST YEAR, A TOTAL OF 3,741 PROSECUTIONS WERE TAKEN OUT AND 2,581 (77 PER CENT) OF THE CASES WERE CONNECTED WITH UNGUARDED MACHINERY,
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