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THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1980
THE INSPECTORATE HAD THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED THE ACCIDENTS AT THE TELFORD GARDEN AND THE HOPEWELL CENTRE AND A SIMILAR INVESTIGATION INTO THE ALL WAY GARDENS INCIDENT IS NOW BEING UNDERTAKEN. IF BREACHES OF SAFETY REGULATIONS ARE FOUND, THE CONTRACTORS OR PERSONS CONCERNED WOULD BE PROSECUTED.
APART FROM THE INVESTIGATIONS, MR. LIN POINTED OUT, THE INSPECTORATE HAD ALSO ADVISED THE CONTRACTORS CONCERNED ON APPROPRIATE REMEDIAL SAFETY MEASURES TO AVOID SIMILAR ACCIDENTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, ALL THE HOISTS ON THE TELFORD GARDEN SITE, ON THE DEPARTMENT'S ADVICE, HAD BEEN SUSPENDED FROM USE UNTIL THE IR OPERATIONAL SAFETY HAD BEEN ENSURED. ALL THE GONDOLAS USED BY THE COMPANY HAD BEEN TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE UNTIL THEY HAD BEEN EXAMINED BY AN ENGINEER AND CERTIFIED SAFE AND SUITABLE FOR USE.
ON SAFETY LEGISLATION, MR. LIN SAID THE CONSTRUCTION SITES (SAFETY) REGULATIONS IMPOSED AN OVERALL LIABILITY ON A PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF A CONSTRUCTION SITE UNDER HIS CONTROL. THEY ALSO IMPOSED A SIMILAR LIABILITY ON OTHER CONTRACTORS, SUB-CONTRACTORS AND PERSONS INCLUDING WORKERS ON THE SITE.
AS FAR AS THE DEPARTMENT IS CONCERNED, IT ALWAYS TRIED ITS BEST TO USE ALL POSSIBLE MEANS TO PROMOTE AND ACHIEVE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, PRIMARILY THROUGH PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS, ORGANISING SAFETY COURSES AND STRENGTHENING THE INSPECTORATE.
+I AM SURE YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT ENFORCEMENT THROUGH INSPECTION OR PROSECUTION ALONE WILL NOT DRASTICALLY REDUCE ACCIDENTS UNLESS EVERYONE, FROM TOP MANAGEMENT DOWN TO THE FIRST LINE WORKERS, ALSO TAKES AN INTEREST AND PLAYS AN ACTIVE PART IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.
+A NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD BOTH THE CONTRACTORS AND THE WORKERS THEMSELVES BEEN SAFETY CONSCIOUS AND TAKEN HEED OF THE DEPARTMENT'S ADVICE ON SAFETY DEVICES, SUCH AS THE USE OF SAFETY BELTS WHILE WORKING AT HEIGHTS,+ SAID MR. LIN.
SPEAKING OF WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION CASES, MR. LIN SAID THE DEPARTMENT HAD ALSO BEEN TRYING ITS BEST TO MINIMISE THE PERIOD REQUIRED TO SETTLE A CLAIM IN RESPECT OF FATAL CASES.
HOWEVER, SOME CASES INEVITABLY TOOK A LONG TIME TO SETTLE BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO LOCATE ALL THE DEPENDANTS, VERIFY THE IR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE DECEASED WORKERS AND CHECK THEIR DEGREE OF DEPENDENCY. IN PARTICULAR, CASES WHERE THE SURVIVING DEPENDANTS LIVED IN CHINA TOOK LONGER TIME.
APART FROM HANDLING THESE CASES, THE DEPARTMENT ALSO REFERRED THE FAMILY OF AN INJURED WORKER OR A DECEASED WORKER SUFFERING FROM FINANCIAL HARDSHIP TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT FOR ASSISTANCE, MR. LIN SAID.
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