WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 1994
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MOTION DEBATE ON EMPLOYEE SAFETY
FOLLOWING IS A SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON EMPLOYEE SAFETY IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):
MR PRESIDENT,
SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK IS AN AREA OF MAJOR CONCERN TO THE GOVERNMENT. HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC SUCCESS RELIES HEAVILY ON OUR HAVING A HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE WORK FORCE. MUCH OF OUR LEGISLATIVE, PROMOTION AND ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS HAVE BEEN TARGETTED AT THIS ESSENTIAL SUBJECT AREA.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN 1992 AND 1993, WE HAVE INTRODUCED A TOTAL OF 28 PIECES OF PRIMARY AND SUBSIDIARY LABOUR LEGISLATION. 16 OF THESE WERE AIMED AT ENHANCING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, PROMOTING OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND IMPROVING EMPLOYEES COMPENSATION. BETWEEN THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT AND THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY COUNCIL, A TOTAL OF 81 SEMINARS, 768 PROMOTION VISITS, 33 EXHIBITIONS AND 519 TALKS ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH WERE ORGANISED IN 1993. THESE PROMOTION EFFORTS WERE TARGETTED AT OUR ENTIRE 2.8 MILLION WORKFORCE. MANY OF THESE MESSAGES WERE MEANT FOR ALL EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES, NOT JUST THOSE WORKING IN INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS.
IT IS GOVERNMENT'S FIRM BELIEF THAT ENSURING SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK MUST BE THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES.
IT IS CLEARLY IN EMPLOYERS' INTEREST TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE A SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT SO THAT THEIR EMPLOYEES' PRODUCTIVITY MAY BE MAXIMISED AND THEIR WORK PROCESSES WILL NOT BE DISRUPTED BY FREQUENT ACCIDENTS. EQUALLY, IT MUST ALSO BE IN THE INTEREST OF EMPLOYEES THEMSELVES TO FOLLOW SAFETY PROCEDURES TO PROTECT THEIR OWN LIFE AND LIMB. NO COMPENSATION SCHEME CAN ADEQUATELY PAY FOR THE LOSS IN LIVES OR PERMANENT CAPACITY, NO MATTER HOW GENEROUS.
GOVERNMENT OF COURSE HAS A KEY ROLE TO PLAY AS WELL. WE PROVIDE THE NECESSARY LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK AND THE ENFORCEMENT MACHINERY TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK, I.E. EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES, WILL NOT SHIRK THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES OR CUT CORNERS, WE UNDERTAKE PROMOTION AND PUBLICITY EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO KEEP DRIVING THE MESSAGE HOME THAT NO ONE SHOULD BE COMPLACENT. WE GIVE INFORMATION AND ADVICE TO ALL EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES TO HELP THEM IN IMPROVING THEIR WORK ENVIRONMENT.
OUR EFFORTS ARE PAYING OFF AND GRADUAL IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE. FOR EXAMPLE, OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, TOTAL WORK ACCIDENT RATE, INCLUDING BOTH INDUSTRIAL AND NON-INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS, HAS DROPPED FROM 40.2 TO 27.6 PER THOUSAND WORKERS. FATALITIES IN THE INDUSTRY SECTOR HAVE ALSO DROPPED FROM 82 TO 65 IN 1992, THOUGH REGRETTABLY WE DID HAVE A SORRY RECORD LAST YEAR, DUE ΤΟ SEVERAL TRAGIC ACCIDENTS AT CONSTRUCTION SITES.
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