SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1980
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PLASTICS WORKERS REMINDED OF JOB HAZARDS
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SOME TYPES OF MACHINE IN THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY COULD BE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS AND WORKERS SHOULD TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION TO ENSURE THEIR OWN SAFETY, THE ACTING CHIEF FACTORY INSPECTOR OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, MR YIP YUK-LUN, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).
IN PARTICULAR MR YIP POINTED OUT THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT ARE KNOWN AS +PLASTIC EXTRUDING MACHINES+, HE SAID THAT RECENTLY THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL SERIOUS ACCIDENTS INVOLVING THIS TYPE OF MACHINE, MANY OF WHICH HAD RESULTED IN WORKERS LOSING A HAND.
MR YIP SAID THESE MACHINES WERE USED TO CONVERT WASTE PLASTIC SHEETS INTO RIBBONS WHICH WERE IN TURN GRANULATED, IN THE MAJORITY OF ACCIDENTS INVOLVING THIS TYPE OF MACHINE THE ORIGINAL FEED- HOPPERS HAD BEEN REMOVED, EXPOSING THE INTERNAL MOVING PARTS,
MANY WORKERS HAD CAUGHT THEIR HANDS IN THE MACHINERY AND SEVERAL CASES RESULTED IN AMPUTATION.
MR YIP SAID THESE ACCIDENTS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE MACHINES HAD BEEN EFFECTIVELY GUARDED, THE PROPER EQUIPMENT USED, AND THE CORRECT PROCEDURES FOLLOWED.
+MANAGEMENT MUST PROVIDE OPERATORS WITH ADEQUATE TRAINING
SO THAT THEY KNOW THESE POINTS,+ HE SAID.
+THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE, OPERATED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, PROVIDES COURSES FREE OF CHARGE ON ALL KINDS OF MACHINES. MANAGEMENTS AND WORKERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE COURSES.
MR YIP ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS (GUARDING AND OPERATION OF MACHINERY) REGULATIONS, 1976, SPECIFIED THAT PROPRIETORS MUST EFFECTIVELY GUARD THE DANGEROUS PARTS OF MACHINERY.
EXAMPLES OF DANGEROUS PARTS OF MACHINERY WERE ILLUSTRATED IN THE HANDBOOK ON GUARDING AND OPERATION OF MACHINERY WHICH WAS AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE AT VARIOUS DIVISIONAL OFFICES OF THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE, HE SAID.
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE REGULATIONS MIGHT LEAD TO PROSECUTION AND A MAXIMUM FINE OF $5 000.
HE ADDED THAT PROPER MACHINE GUARDING WOULD ENSURE SAFE OPERATION AT ALL TIMES AND GIVE CONFIDENCE TO OPERATIVES. GUARDS WHICH WERE PROPERLY DESIGNED, INSTALLED AND MAINTAINED COULD HELP ELIMINATE MECHANICAL HAZARD AND INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY.
IN ADDITION TO THE COURSES OFFERED AT THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE, MR YIP SAID THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE, AT VARIOUS DIVISIONAL OFFICES OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, WERE PLEASED TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC ON MATTERS CONCERNING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.
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