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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1992
GOVT TO IMPROVE CONSTRUCTION SITE SAFETY
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MEASURES TO IMPROVE SAFETY AT CONSTRUCTION SITES WOULD BE PROMOTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, WORKS DEPARTMENTS, OTHER MAJOR CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITIES, THE HONG KONG CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION AND THE UNIONS, THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, INFORMED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON STEVEN POON, BLAKE SAID THE POSSIBILITY OF MONITORING MORE CLOSELY THE SAFETY PERFORMANCE OF INDIVIDUAL SUB-CONTRACTORS WAS ONE OF SUCH MEASURES.
HE SAID THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS ON ALL CONSTRUCTION SITES (PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT) FOR 1990 WAS 25,138 WHILE THAT FOR GOVERNMENT SITES WAS 4,943.
"THE GOVERNMENT'S SHARE OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS WAS 20 PER CENT. THIS COMPARES WITH ITS SHARE OF TOTAL CONSTRUCTION EXPENDITURE OF 35 PER CENT, HE SAID.
"
MR BLAKE SAID THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE CAP 282 HELD THE PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR LIABLE FOR PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION TO EMPLOYEES OF SUB-CONTRACTORS IN RESPECT OF WORK-RELATED ACCIDENTS,
"THIS PROTECTS WORKERS
POSITION OF THE MAIN CONTRACTOR,
BECAUSE OF THE BETTER FINANCIAL
HE SAID.
MR BLAKE SAID UNDER THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS ORDINANCE, IT WAS THE DUTY OF EVERY PROPRIETOR OF AN INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKING, WHICH INCLUDED CONSTRUCTION SITES TO PROVIDE TRAINING HIS EMPLOYEES TO ENSURE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK.
ON
"THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT IS ACTIVELY PROMOTING SAFETY TRAINING ON CONSTRUCTION SITES AS ONE OF THE MEASURES MAIN CONTRACTORS CAN CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS IMPROVING CONSTRUCTION SITE SAFETY.
H
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"SUCH TRAINING SHOULD COVER NOT ONLY WORKERS DIRECTLY EMPLOYED BY THE PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR BUT ALL THOSE WORKING IN THE SITE,' HE SAID.
ΤΟ
MR BLAKE SAID THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WAS CONSIDERING PROSECUTING CONTRACTORS FOR CONTRAVENTION QF THE REQUIREMENT PROVIDE SAFETY TRAINING TO WORKERS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES.
THE
APART FROM THIS STATUTORY REQUIREMENT, THE SECRETARY SAID, INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE WITHIN THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE DIVISION OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT ALSO CONDUCTED SAFETY TRAINING COURSE TO ASSIST EMPLOYERS IN COMPLYING WITH THE REQUIREMENT.
WITH 29,671
DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS, A TOTAL OF 985 CONSTRUCTION- RELATED SAFETY TRAINING COURSES HAD BEEN HELD PARTICIPANTS FROM VARIOUS SECTORS OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
/MR BLAKE