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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1986
PROF POON, CONVENER OF A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AD HOC GROUP WHICH STUDIED THE REGULATIONS, SAID THAT PROVIDING A SAFEGUARD IN ADVANCE OF A POTENTIAL HAZARD WAS DEFINITELY A MOVEMENT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
BEING A UNIVERSITY TEACHER AND RESEARCH WORKER IN CHEMISTRY BY PROFESSION, HE SAID HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ADEQUACY OF SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN THE USE OF CARCINOGENIC SUBSTANCES FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES.
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+ IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS RESULTING IN EXPLOSIONS CAUSED BY CHEMICALS,+ HE SAID.
+ IN FACT, BESIDES EXPLOSIONS, ANOTHER INDICATOR OF A SERIES HAZARD IN THE USE OF CHEMICALS IS CANCER,
+THEREFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT MORE EMPHASIS ON THE SAFETY ASPECT SHOULD BE PUT ON THE REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE USE OF CARCINOGENIC SUBSTANCES.+
PROF POON WAS GLAD THAT CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO RESEARCH WORK IN DRAFTING THE REGULATIONS.
HE SAID THE FLEXIBILITY PROVIDED IN THE REGULATIONS FOR THE USE OF CARCINOGENIC SUBSTANCES IN MEDICAL OR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, INVESTIGATION OR TESTING WAS VERY SENSIBLE.
+ THE EXEMPTION INDICATED IN THE REGULATIONS FOR RESEARCH WORK WILL ENSURE THAT RELEVANT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN UNIVERSITIES AND TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE REGULATIONS,+ HE ADDED.
THE HON NGAI SHIU-KIT, ALSO A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AD HOC GROUP, SAID HE BELIEVED NO SAME PROPRIETOR WOULD OPPOSE PROPER PROMOTION OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH FOR WORKERS.
HE SUGGESTED THAT, PROVIDED RESOURCES PERMITTED, OTHER CANCER-INDUCING SUBSTANCES USED IN INDUSTRY AND IN ANY OTHER TRADES SHOULD BE PINPOINTED AND PUT UNDER PROPER CONTROL.
MR NGA1 SAID THAT ONE OF THE REGULATIONS, WHICH PRESCRIBED SAFETY PRECAUTIONS TO BE OBSERVED BY THE PROPRIETOR WHERE THE NAMED CHEMICALS WERE CONCERNED, WAS NOT CLEARLY DEFINED AND EXPLAINED.
+HOWEVER, THANKS TO THE ADMINISTRATION, WE WERE ASSURED THAT THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION IS PRECAUTIONARY IN NATURE AND IS DIRECTED AGAINST GENUINELY IRRESPONSIBLE EMPLOYERS,+ HE SAID.
AS THE LEGISLATION SERVED A PRECAUTIONARY PURPOSE, MR NGA! FURTHER SUGGESTED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD INCLUDE AS MANY SAFETY STEPS AS POSSIBLE IN THE GUIDE TO THE REGULATIONS WHICH WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED TO RELEVANT INDUSTRIAL CONCERNS.
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