15.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1986
ANSWER LIES IN LOGICAL APPROACH
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THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO ENSURE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY IS THROUGH TAKING A LOGICAL AND ANALYTICAL APPROACH TOWARDS THE CAUSES OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, DR IP POINTED OUT THAT HAND INJURIES CONSTITUTED SOME 21 PER CENT OF ALL INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS.
SHE SUGGESTED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE TACKLED FROM CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM A STUDY ON THE SUBJECT CARRIED OUT BY THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG IN 1982,
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THIS RESEARCH SHOWED THAT IN 383 CASES OF SEVERE HAND INJURY, 17 PER CENT OF THE WORKERS HAD ARRIVED FROM CHINA LESS THAN TWO. YEARS PREVIOUSLY, AND 87 PER CENT OF THIS GROUP COULD NOT ADEQUATELY EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN CANTONESE.
IN CANTONESE. IN ADDITION, 58 PER CENT OF THE MACHINES INVOLVED DID NOT HAVE A SAFETY DEVICE.
REFERRING TO THE INCIDENCE OF INDUSTRIAL FIRES, DR IP SAID FIRE RELATED OFFENCES WERE A MAJOR PROBLEM WHICH MUST BE TACKLED URGENTLY.
IT SEEMED OBVIOUS THAT MALPRACTICE ABOUNDED AND LEGISLATION, PROSECUTIONS AND FINES DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE A DETERRENT EFFECT.
SHE NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN STRONG CALLS FOR DANGEROUS CHEMICALS TO BE PROPERLY LABELLED, THE IR EFFECTS ON HUMANS CLEARLY STATED AND MEASURES IN CASE OF SPILLAGE DISTINCTLY PRESCRIBED.
ADOPTING SUCH MEASURES WOULD BRING HONG KONG IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE.
TURNING TO THE INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT RATE, DR IP SAID THE FIGURES WORRIED HER BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN THE DEATH RATE, THERE WAS NO CONCURRENT DROP IN THE OVERALL RATE.
+ IT SPELLS OUT TO ME QUITE CLEARLY THAT WE ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, SHE SAID.
DR IP SAID SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT INSPECTION OF SMALL FACTORIES HAD LOW PRIORITY IN THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S FACTORY INSPECTION LIST.
/QUOTING