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11
PRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1987
STATUTORY COMPENSATION PAID UNDER THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE TO THE INJURED EMPLOYEE AND COURT AWARDS TO THE DEPENDANTS OF THE DECEASED EMPLOYEES;
COURT FINES BECAUSE OF PROSECUTIONS AGAINST BREACHES OF THE SAFETY REGULATIONS RESULTING FROM THE ACCIDENTS; AND
COMMON LAW CLAIMS BY EMPLOYEE AGAINST THE EMPLOYER FOR NEGLIGENCE WHICH HAD BEEN SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR OR CONTRIBUTORY TO THE OCCURRENCE OF THE ACCIDENT.
IN ADDITION TO THE DIRECT COSTS, HE SAID, THERE WERE NUMEROUS INDIRECT COSTS WHICH HAD TO BE BORNE BY EMPLOYERS AS A RESULT OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS.
THESE INCLUDED THE WORKING TIME LOST ON THE PART OF THE INJURED WORKER, HIS FELLOW WORKERS AND THE SUPERVISORY STAFF INDIRECT PECUNIARY LOSS SUCH AS COST OF TRAINING REPLACEMENTS AND INCREASES IN INSURANCE PREMIUMS.
IN GENERAL, THE INDIRECT COSTS THAT RESULTED FROM AN ACCIDENT WERE FAR MORE DAMAGING AND EXPENSIVE THAN DIRECT COSTS AND HAD FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES.
MR YIP POINTED OUT THAT THE HARDEST HIT IN AN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT WAS THE INJURED WORKER HIMSELF.
IN ADDITION TO THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL SUFFERING CAUSED TO WORKER, HE SAID, INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS USUALLY HAD SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR THE LIVELIHOOD AND WELL-BEING OF HIS FAMILY.
+ALL THESE ALARMING COSTS OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS CLEARLY POINT TO THE NEED FOR SPECIAL ATTENTION IN SAFETY, AT WORK BY ALL PARTIES CONCERNED, HE SAID,
ACCORDING TO MR YIP, THE KEY TO SUCCESS IN ENSURING A HIGH STANDARD OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND A LOW ACCIDENT RATE, LAY IN CLOSE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYERS AND THE GOVERNMENT,
HE SAID THAT THE BASIC APPROACH ADOPTED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT IN PROMOTING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY WAS A COMBINATION OF ENFORCEMENT, EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY.
ON THE ENFORCEMENT FRONT, THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE IN 1986 CARRIED OUT 75 180 INSPECTIONS AT INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND INVESTIGATIONS INTO INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS AND DANGEROUS OCCURRENCES.
/AS A RESULT,