MONDAY, JUNE 8, 1981
SAFETY OFFICERS FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK PLANNED
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SHOULD LEGISLATION ON COMPULSORY EMPLOYMENT OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY OFFICERS BE ENACTED, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE APPLIED TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FIRST BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST HAZARDOUS.
SPEAKING AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS' ASSOCIATION TODAY (MONDAY), THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR MR DAVID LIN, SAID THAT THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION WOULD SUBSEQUENTLY BE APPLIED TO OTHER INDUSTRIES WHERE THE NEED WAS EVIDENT.
HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE LEGISLATION, HONG KONG WOULD EXPERIENCE WHAT HAD BEEN ACHIEVED IN SINGAPORE WHERE SAFETY PERFORMANCE ON A NATIONAL BASIS HAD IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THE COMING INTO EFFECT IN 1976 OF A LAW REQUIRING A NUMBER OF TRADES TO EMPLOY FULL OR PART-TIME SAFETY OFFICERS.
+ IT IS HOPED THAT THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG WILL IMPROVE SIMILARLY AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION,+ HE ADDED.
MR LIN SAID THAT LOCAL INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS INCLUDING CONSTRUCTION SITES ALREADY EMPLOYING SAFETY OFFICERS ARE GENERALLY MAINTAINING A HIGH STANDARD OF SAFETY PERFORMANCE WITH A LOW ACCIDENT RATE.
EARLIER, MR LIN POINTED OUT THAT ACCIDENTS ON CONTRUCTION SITES, BOTH FATAL AND NON-FATAL, CONSTITUTED 38 PER CENT OF THE ANNUAL TOTAL OF ACCIDENTS IN ALL INDUSTRIES IN 1980,
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED IN ACCIDENTS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES ALONE LAST YEAR GREATLY OUT-NUMBERED THE FATALITIES IN ALL OTHER INDUSTRIES IN HONG KONG.
HOWEVER, STUDIES SHOWED THAT MANY OF THESE ACCIDENTS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS EXERCISED STRICTER SUPERVISION OF THEIR CONSTRUCTION SITES AND PROVIDED ADEQUATE AND PROPER SAFEGUARDS.
WORKING AT HEIGHT SEEMED TO POSE THE GREATEST RISK TO CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, MR LIN CONTINUED.
IN 1980 THERE WERE 34 DEATHS AS A RESULT OF FALLS FROM HEIGHTS, REPRESENTING 39 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL FATAL ACCIDENTS OCCURRING IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY,
TO AVOID THESE ACCIDENTS, OPEN PITS, FLOOR EDGES, OPENINGS, WORKING PLATFORMS AND OTHER DANGEROUS PLACES OF BUILDINGS UNDER CONSTRUCTION SHOULD BE SECURELY FENCED OR, IN SITUATIONS WHERE FENCING IS NOT POSSIBLE, SAFETY BELTS SHOULD BE USED BY WORKERS AT HEIGHTS.
TO ATTRACT ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM, THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAS PUBLISHED ONE POSTER ON THE DANGER OF +FALL OF PERSONS+ AND THREE OTHERS ON THE USE OF SAFETY BELTS, ALL OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE.
/MR LIN