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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1984
NEED FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY EFFORT STRESSED
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THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INDUSTRY-BASED SAFETY SUB-COMMITTEES IS AIMED AT INDUCING MOTIVATION AND CO-OPERATION FROM ALL PARTIES CONCERNED WITH PROMOTING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, DR JAMES HAYES, TODAY (MONDAY), AT THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE METALWARE INDUSTRY SAFETY SUB-COMMITTEE.
THIS SUB-COMMITTEE IS THE FIFTH ONE FORMED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION, COMPRISING REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATIONS AND TRADE UNIONS AS MEMBERS. SIMILAR SUB-COMMITTEES FOR THE SHIPBUILDING AND SHIPREPAIRING, CONSTRUCTION, TEXTILES AND PLASTICS INDUSTRIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN FORMED.
EXPLAINING THE BACKGROUND FOR FORMING THE NEW SUB-COMMITTEE, DR HAYES POINTED OUT THAT IN 1983 THERE WERE 3 977 ACCIDENTS IN THE METALWARE INDUSTRY, LOWER ONLY IN NUMBER TO THE CONSTRUCTION AND GARMENT INDUSTRIES. IN THE SAME YEAR, THERE WERE NO FEWER THAN 806 INSTANCES IN WHICH MECHANICAL PRESS OPERATORS HAD THEIR HANDS OR FINGERS CRUSHED AT WORK.
WHILE THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN PROMOTING SAFETY AT WORK THROUGH ENACTING AND ENFORCING SAFETY LEGISLATION, TAKING OUT PROSECUTIONS FOR BREACHES OF THE LEGISLATION, AND PROVIDING EDUCATION, TRAINING AND PUBLICITY, EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS HAD AN EQUALLY IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN ENSURING SAFETY AT WORK.
WITHOUT GOOD MOT ATION AND CO-OPERATION FROM ALL SIDES, ANY EFFORT TO IMPROVE SAFETY AT WORK WAS LIKELY TO BE INEFFECTIVE. IT WAS FOR THIS REASON THAT INDUSTRY-BASED SAFETY SUB-COMMITTEES HAD BEEN FORMED.
THE NEW SUB-COMMITTEE'S TERMS OF REFERENCE ARE TO PRODUCE A CODE OF SAFE WORKING PRACTICES FOR THE METALWARE INDUSTRY AND TO PROMOTE AND SUSTAIN A GROWING INTEREST IN IMPROVING SAFETY AT WORK.
DR HAYES STRESSED THAT THE SUB-COMMITTEE COULD ONLY ACHIEVE ITS AIMS IF THERE WAS ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT.
NOTING THAT INTEREST AND INPUT FROM ALL ITS MEMBERS WAS VITAL, HE APPEALED FOR THEIR REGULAR ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION.
HE TOLD THE MEMBERS: +WE PARTICULARLY VALUE YOUR PRACTICAL ADVICE AND YOUR DEEP KNOWLEDGE IN THIS FIELD IN HELPING TO ESTABLISH REALISTIC SAFETY STANDARDS AND DRAW UP LEGISLATION AND CODES OF PRACTICES.
+WITHOUT THE PARTICIPATION BY EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATIONS AND UNIONS REPRESENTED ON THE SAFETY SUB-COMMITTEE, THE SUB-COMMITTEE'S WORK WOULD LACK SUBSTANCE AND THE MEANS TO PUT ACROSS THE IMPORTANT MESSAGE OF WORK SAFETY TO ALL CONCERNED.+
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