THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1988
MORE INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS BUT FEWER FATALITIES IN 1987
THE NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS REPORTED LAST YEAR SHOWED A SLIGHT INCREASE OF SIX PER CENT WHILE THE NUMBER OF FATALITIES REGISTERED A DECREASE OF 12 PER CENT.
DURING 1987, THERE WERE 57,403 ACCIDENTS WITH 80 FATALITIES IN ALL INDUSTRIES COMPARED WITH 54,138 ACCIDENTS AND 91 FATALITIES IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
OF THE TOTAL, THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ACCOUNTED FOR 23,846 ACCIDENTS WITH 55 FATALITIES AS AGAINST 20,970 ACCIDENTS WITH 60 FATALITIES IN 1986.
COMMENTING ON THE ACCIDENT STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (THURSDAY), THE CRIEF FACTORY INSPECTOR OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, MR YIP YUK-LUN, SAID THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS LAST TEAR WAS MAINLY DUE TO A SIGNIFICANT RISE IN MINOR INJURIES.
THESE INCLUDED 17,759 CASES INVOLVING WORKERS STEPPING ON OR STRIKING AGAINST OBJECTS AND 1,547 CASES RELATING TO HANDLING WITHOUT MACHINERY. THEY REPRESENTED AN INCREASE OF 57 PER CENT AND 31 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S STATISTICS.
SOME OTHER TYPES OF ACCIDENTS, ALTHOUGH THEY REGISTERED A DECREASE AS AGAINST THE 1986 FIGURES, CONTINUED TO BE THE SOURCE OF THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.
THESE WERE THE 9,851 CASES (WITH 20 FATALITIES) INVOLVING MACHINERY, 6,531 CASES (WITH 30 FATALITIES) RELATING ΤΟ FALL OF PERSONS, 4,091 CASES (WITH FOUR FATALITIES) CONCERNING FALLING OBJECTS, 3,020 CASES DUE TO USE OF HAND TOOLS, 1,680 CASES INVOLVING HOT OR CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES, AND 1,346 CASES (WITH FOUR FATALITIES) CONCERNING TRANSPORT.
"A STUDY OF THE ACCIDENTS SHOWED THAT IF THE BASIC SAFETY RULES WERE SCRUPULOUSLY OBSERVED BY BOTH THE EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES, THE ACCIDENT RATE COULD BE CUT DRAMATICALLY,' MR YIP SAID.
то CONTINUE AND OF
"OBVIOUSLY THERE IS EVERY NEED FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO STRENGTHEN ITS EFFORTS TO PROMOTE A SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION SAFETY-MINDEDNESS AMONG EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES, HE ADDED.
MR YIP REVEALED THAT TO SHOW THE REAL OVERALL ACCIDENT TREND,
OF THE DEPARTMENT WAS COMPILING A NEW SET
STATISTICS WHEREBY MAJOR AND MINOR ACCIDENTS WERE IDENTIFIED SEPARATELY.
A MAJOR ACCIDENT IS DEFINED BY REFERENCE TO THE LENOTH OF ABSENCE FROM WORK OR DEGREE OF INCAPACITY SUFFERED BY AN INJURED WORKER.
ALTHOUGH THE