SUNDAY, MARCH 2, 1986
INDUSTRIAL SAFETY IS A TRIPARTITE AFFAIR
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THE PROMOTION OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY IS A TRIPARTITE AFFAIR INVOLVING THE GOVERNMENT, EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES AND EACH OF THEM HAD AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR,
MR DARWIN CHEN, AT THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY SAFETY SUB-COMMTTEE RECENTLY,
+FOR THIS REASON, THE INDUSTRY-BASED SAFETY SUB-COMMITTEES ARE FORMED WITH A TRIPARTITE COMPOSITION SO THAT ALL CONCERNED PARTIES MAY CO-OPERATE AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAUSE OF WORK SAFETY, + HE SAID.
THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY SAFETY SUB-COMMITTEE IS THE SIXTH FORMED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION (CISAP), FOLLOWING THOSE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, THE TEXTILES INDUSTRY, THE SHIPBUILDING AND SHIPREPAIRING INDUSTRY, THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY AND THE METALWARE INDUSTRY.
MR CHEN, WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF CISAP, SAID MEMBERS OF THE SAFETY SUB-COMMITTEES INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS FROM EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES ORGANISATIONS.
HE SAID THE SUB-COMMITTEES HAD PERFORMED VERY WELL IN IMPROVING SAFETY AT WORK IN THE RESPECTIVE INDUSTRIES.
+THEIR ACTIVITIES INCLUDED, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PREPARATION OF CODES OF PRACTICE FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE INDUSTRIES AND THE ORGANISING OF SAFETY SEMINARS AND COMPETITIONS.+
MR CHEN SAID THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST
IN HONG KONG AND EMPLOYED ABOUT 900 000 PEOPLE.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF ITS HIGH TECHNOLOGY CONTENT AND THE USE OF A WIDE RANGE OF CHEMICALS, WORKERS IN THE INDUSTRY WERE SUBJECT TO HEALTH HAZARDS ARISING FROM IMPROPER HANDLING OF THE SUBSTANCES.
IN 1984, HE SAID, 1 134 ACCIDENTS IN THE INDUSTRY HAD BEEN REPORTED AND IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF 1985, THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS WAS ABOUT-700.
MR CHEN SAID THE NEW SUB-COMMITTEE'S MAIN TASKS WERE TO PRODUCE A CODE OF SAFE PRACTICES FOR THE INDUSTRY AND TO PROMOTE SAFETY AT WORK THROUGH THE PARTICIPATION OF EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS.
+AS WITH OTHER SUB-COMMITTEES, IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE MEMBERS AND THEIR PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE AND ADVICE, THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY SAFETY SUB-COMMITTEE WOULD HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS IN THE INDUSTRY, HE ADDED.
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