15
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 1988
"PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC INTERESTS WILL ALSO BE SO AS TO WIDEN THE EXPERTISE ON THE COUNCIL," HE SAID.
REPRESENTED
EXPLAINING THE BACKGROUND TO THE PROPOSALS, MR WONG SAID THAT IN 1976 MR J.A. LINEHAN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM HEALTH COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SAFETY AND HEALTH COMMITTEE WHICH SHOULD EVENTUALLY DEVELOP INTO A SAFETY COUNCIL.
"IN 1978 THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION WAS SET UP UNDER THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD, WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYEES AND THE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.
TT
"ENCOURAGED BY ITS INITIAL SUCCESS AND IN RESPONSE TO FURTHER CALLS FROM EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES, THE COMMITTEE FORMED A WORKING PARTY IN 1984 TO EXAMINE THE POSSIBLE FORMATION OF AN COUNCIL.
INDEPENDENT
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"THE PRESENT PROPOSALS ARE BASED ON THE CONCLUSIONS WORKING PARTY.
OF THAT
THE PROPOSED COUNCIL WOULD FOCUS THE ATTENTION OF EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYEES AND THE COMMUNITY ON THE PROMOTION OF SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK THROUGH FOUR MAJOR FUNCTIONS.
FIRST, IT WOULD DESIGN AND CONDUCT TRAINING COURSES, PRODUCE TEACHING AIDS AND REFERENCE MATERIALS, PROMOTE THE APPLICATION OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY, CONDUCT PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONS AND VALIDATE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH QUALIFICATIONS.
SECONDLY IT WOULD UNDERTAKE PUBLICITY PROGRAMMES, COLLECT AND COMPILE STATISTICS AND INFORMATION, AND PREPARE SAFETY AND HEALTH LITERATURE FOR PUBLIC USE.
THIRDLY, IT WOULD DEVELOP CONSULTANCY SERVICES IN AREAS SUCH AS OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTHI SURVEYS, FEASIBILITY STUDIES, PROCEDURES ON MONITORING AND CONTROL, AND ADVICE ON PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
AT
FOURTHLY, IT WOULD ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON ANY LEGISLATIVE MEASURES NECESSARY TO IMPROVE THE STANDARDS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY WORK, AND WOULD EITHER CARRY OUT OR COMMISSION RESEARCH.
"AS REGARDS THE SOURCE OF FINANCE, THE PROPOSED COUNCIL WILL MAINLY RELY ON A LEVY BASED ON EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION INSURANCE PREMIA, TO BE PAID BY EMPLOYERS MR WONG SAID.
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"IT IS OUR PRESENT INTENTION TO PROPOSE A ONE PER CENT LEVY WHICH WILL YIELD ABOUT $7 MILLION A YEAR.
"THE LEVEL OF LEVY WILL BE REVIEWED REGULARLY IN THE LIGHT OF OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE."
/MR WONG