FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1982
1
INCREASING WILL TO TACKLE SAFETY PROBLEM
*****
IT IS VERY ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT PEOPLE IN MANAGEMENT ARE MORE AND MORE CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY OF PERSONNEL IN THE IR EMPLOY, THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, DR J.W. HAYES, SAID THIS (FRIDAY) MORNING.
HE ADDED THAT THERE WAS ALSO AN INCREASING WILLINGNESS TO CREATE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS SAFETY AT WORK AMONG WORKERS AND SUPERVISORS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES.
DR HAYES WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF A SEMINAR ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SAFETY OFFICERS IN REDUCING ACCIDENTS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES+ JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS' ASSOCIATION AND THE HONG KONG OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ASSOCIATION IN A TSIM SHA TSUI HOTEL.
HE RECOGNISED THAT WITH THE GROWTH OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN RECENT YEARS AND THE ADVENT OF VERY LARGE SCALE ENGINEERING PROJECTS, HAZARDS AT WORK INCREASED IN PROPORTION.
UNLESS ALL PARTIES INVOLVED POOL THEIR EXPERTISE, RESOURCES AND GOODWILL, THERE WOULD BE LITTLE HOPE OF ACHIEVING SAFER SYSTEMS AT WORK AND A CORRESPONDING REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS, HE STRESSED. AND THERE WAS A PARTICULAR NEED TO ENLIST THE SUPPORT OF YOUNG WORKERS, FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY.
ACCIDENTS WERE ALSO COSTLY, DR HAYES POINTED OUT, APART FROM PLANT AND EQUIPMENT DAMAGE, DISRUPTION TO PROCESS OF WORK, LOSS OF SKILLED AND IRREPLACEABLE WORKERS AND OTHER HIDDEN LOSSES, ABOUT 500 000 MAN-DAYS WERE LOST LAST YEAR DUE TO INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS.
+YOU WILL ALL AGREE THAT SUCH LOSSES COULD HAVE BEEN GREATLY REDUCED HAD WE SPENT MORE TIME AND EFFORT TO ORGANISE ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROGRAMMES IN OUR FACTORIES AND SITES, ENGAGED PEOPLE TRAINED IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY WORK AND TRIED TO EDUCATE THE WORK FORCE, HE NOTED.
DR HAYES WAS CERTAIN THAT THE SEMINAR WOULD BRING USEFUL RESULTS.
HE TOLD THE PARTICIPANTS THAT THE SENSE OF WORKING TOGETHER WITH A COMMON PURPOSE, AND THE EXTRA KNOWLEDGE GAINED, WOULD GIVE ADDED INCENTIVE FOR THE SAFETY PROGRAMMES BEING CONDUCTED IN THE IR OWN ESTABLISHMENTS.