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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1986
MR BRIDGE SAID THAT IN PREPARING THE LEGISLATION, THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAD CARRIED OUT EXTENSIVE AND REPEATED CONSULTATIONS WITH CONCERNED EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL BODIES.
+ALL THE RELEVANT POINTS MADE TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR DURING THE CONSULTATIONS HAVE BEEN FULLY CONSIDERED, AND WHERE APPROPRIATE INCORPORATED IN THE REGULATIONS.+
THE ONE MAJOR POINT WHICH HAD NOT BEEN INCORPORATED, MR BRIDGE POINTED OUT, CONCERNED EMPLOYEES' RESPONSIBILITY IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY. ALTHOUGH EMPLOYEES DID INDEED SHARE RESPONSIBILITY FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, THIS POINT WAS ALREADY PROVIDED FOR BY OTHER SETS OF REGULATIONS UNDER THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS ORDINANCE.
REFERRING TO THE AVAILABILITY OF SAFETY OFFICERS TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE REGULATIONS. MR BRIDGE SAID THAT SINCE 1979 A TOTAL OF 482 PEOPLE HAD COMPLETED SAFETY OFFICER COURSES AT THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC AND THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY'S TRAINING CENTRE.
+IN ADDITION, SOME 210 PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO COMPLETE TRAINING BY THE END OF THE CURRENT ACADEMIC YEAR, HE SAID.
HE ALSO NOTED THAT A FURTHER 7 800 PERSONS HAD COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION SAFETY COURSES RUN BY THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT AND WERE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING THE DUTIES OF A SAFETY SUPERVISOR.
TO GIVE EMPLOYERS TIME TO RECRUIT SAFETY OFFICERS OR SAFETY SUPERVISORS TO COMPLY WITH THE REGULATIONS, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR INTENDED TO BRING THE REGULATIONS INTO OPERATION IN TWO STAGES.
+THE PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE REGISTRATION OF SAFETY OFFICERS AND THE REGULATIONS EMPOWERING THE COMMISSIONER TO APPOINT THE SAFETY OFFICERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE WILL BE BROUGHT INTO EFFECT ON DECEMBER 1 THIS YEAR.
+ THE REST OF THE REGULATIONS WILL BE BROUGHT INTO OPERATION ONE YEAR LATER, + MR BRIDGE SAID.
IN ORDER TO BRING THE CONTENTS OF THE REGULATIONS TO THE ATTENTION OF EMPLOYERS, SAFETY OFFICERS, SAFETY SUPERVISORS AND THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WOULD LAUNCH A PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN.
THE DEPARTMENT WOULD PUBLISH A GUIDE FOR THE USE OF EMPLOYERS AND SAFETY OFFICERS WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN THE REGULATIONS AND HOW THEY SHOULD BE APPLIED.
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