TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 1980
10
LABOUR DEPARTMENT ACTS ON THOSE VIOLATING
INDUSTRIAL SAFETY LAW
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HONG KONG COURTS LAST YEAR HEARD 3 397 CASES FOR BREACH OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY LAWS, AND METED OUT FINES TOTALLING MORE THAN $2.5 MILLION.
DURING THE SAME YEAR, THE INSPECTORATE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED 38 851 INSPECTIONS OF FACTORIES AND CONSTRUCTION SITES AND 3 784 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S CHIEF FACTORY INSPECTOR, MR CHAN SIU-LAP, AT THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT INDUSTRIAL SAFETY CONFERENCE AT NEW WORLD HOTEL TODAY (TUESDAY).
IN REPLY TO CRITICISM OF THE INSPECTORATE, MR CHAN COMPARED THE FIGURES TO THOSE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM,
IN HONG KONG LAST YEAR THERE WERE 3 397 PROSECUTIONS IN RELATION TO 45 991 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, WHILE IN THE UK THERE WERE 3 947 PROSECUTIONS IN RELATION TO 244 436 ACCIDENTS.
ON INSPECTIONS MADE BY THE INSPECTORATE, MR CHAN SAID ITS 120 INSPECTORS ENDEAVOURED TO INSPECT ALL THE 47 171 FACTORIES AND 1 400 CONSTRUCTION SITES, BUT THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK.
TO ENSURE THE BEST DEPLOYMENT OF MANPOWER, THE INSPECTORATE 1 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION AND METHODS UNIT, HAD DEVISED A PRIORITY SYSTEM.
UNDER THE SYSTEM, PRIORITY AND FREQUENCY OF INSPECTION TO AN ESTABLISHMENT WAS RATED ACCORDING TO ITS SAFETY PERFORMANCE, SIZE OF WORKFORCE, COMPLEXITY OF PLANT AND ACCIDENT RECORD.
NO INDUSTRIAL SAFETY PROGRAMME WOULD SUCCEED WITHOUT THE FULL PARTICIPATION AND CO-OPERATION OF ALL THREE PARTIES, NAMELY THE GOVERNMENT, THE EMPLOYERS AS WELL AS THE EMPLOYEES, MR CHAN STRESSED.
FOR ITS PART, HE ADDED, THE INSPECTORATE HAD BEEN INCREASINGLY EXERCISING A DUAL ROLE: TO SEE THAT THE LAW WAS OBSERVED AND TO OFFER ADVICE, PARTICULARLY ON MATTERS WHICH THE LAW DID NOT, AND PERHAPS COULD NOT, COVER.
HOWEVER, THE MAIN HOPE FOR TACKLING THE PROBLEM LAY WITH THE ADEQUATE EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF EVERYONE IN INDUSTRY.
HE ADVISED THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE CONFERENCE TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING POINTS1
* TO HAVE A CLEAR AND PRECISE SAFETY POLICY STATEMENT
AND PROCEDURES, PREFERABLE COMING FROM THE TOP MANAGEMENT-
* SOMEONE WITH AUTHORITY, AND ACCESS TO THE BOARDROOM,
SHOULD HAVE OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFETY IN THE ESTABLISHMENT-
WHEN PURCHASING