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WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1988
HOWEVER, HE ADDED IT HAD NOT YET BEEN TO GIVE ANY INDICATION OF LONG TERM TRENDS.
"THUS AT PRESENT OUR ONLY RELIABLE TRENDS IS THE FATALITY FIGURES, HE SAID.
*
IN EFFECT LONG ENOUGH
INDICATOR OF LONG TERM
"THESE ARE SUBJECT TO TEMPORARY UPTURNS AT TIMES LIKE THE PRESENT, WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS UNDER HEAVY PRESSURE.
"HOWEVER, THE LONG TERM TREND HAS FOR SOME YEARS NOW BEEN ENCOURAGINGLY DOWNWARD.
"EVEN ALLOWING FOR THE RECENT INCREASE, WHICH I BELIEVE WILL PROVE TO BE TEMPORARY, OUR PRESENT FATALITY FIGURES ARE STILL A SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT ON THE EQUIVALENT FIGURES FOR 10 YEARS AGO.'
THIS ENCOURAGING TREND REFLECTED, HE BELIEVED, THE EFFORTS THAT HAD BEEN PUT IN ON ENFORCEMENT, ON TRAINING, AND ON PUBLICITY.
"IT ALSO REFLECTED THE SUCCESS OF THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD'S TRI-PARTITE SUB-COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY IN CHANGING ATTITUDES TO SAFETY AT WORK.
MR BRIDGE ADDED: "ONE RECENT MEASURE WHICH WILL, I HOPE, HELP TO CONTINUE THE ENCOURAGING TREND IS THE SAFETY OFFICER LEGISLATION ENACTED BY THIS COUNCIL IN OCTOBER 1986 AND APPLIED IN STAGES IN DECEMBER 1986 AND DECEMBER 1987.
"WHAT I FIND PARTICULARLY ENCOURAGING IS THAT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY, WHICH IS CONTROLLED BY THE INDUSTRY ITSELF HAS TAKEN AN ACTIVE PART IN SUPPORT OF THIS LEGISLATION BY TRAINING SAFETY OFFICERS AND SAFETY SUPERVISORS,'
++
REFERRING TO A MEMBER'S COMMENT ON A LOW LEVEL OF PENALTIES FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY OFFENCES, MR BRIDGE SAID THE PROBLEM WAS NOT WITH THE LEGAL MAXIMUM FINES BUT WITH THE LEVEL OF FINES ACTUALLY IMPOSED BY COURTS.
HE SAID THERE WAS NO WAY THAT THE ADMINISTRATION COULD CONTROL THE LEVEL OF FINES IMPOSED.
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