29
—
A Safety Charter to improve safety at work
The Government is proposing a three-part-strategy to achieve a substantial improvement in industrial safety standards.
This was revealed by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, today (Wednesday) in his Policy Address to the Legislative Council.
Mr Patten said safety at work could only succeed if everyone in the workplace could be convinced of two essential facts:
Most deaths and injuries are avoidable. Almost all could be prevented if employers promoted safe work practices and if workers co-operated.
* Both employers and employees must accept a joint responsibility for
improving safety. We need a zero tolerance of unsafe working practices.
First, the Governor said, the Government was preparing a "Charter for Safety in the Workplace" and LegCo members' views would be fully taken into account before publishing the document next year.
"It will make clear the rights of the worker to enjoy a safe working environment and the obligation on the employer to prevent deaths and injuries," Mr Patten said.
"It will also emphasise the responsibility of the employee to co-operate in following safe working practices and reporting workplace hazards."
Secondly, the Government was already at work encouraging the new "partnership for safety" between employers and the work force.
"A consultation document published in July announced 45 specific recommendations to slash accident rates and improve safety standards through proper safety training for the entire workforce and an obligation, especially on industries with the worst records, to develop formal safety programmes and establish safety committees," Mr Patten said.
"These measures target the construction industry in particular."
On the third part of the strategy, Mr Patten said the Government would continue to deter bad safety practices by using all its legal powers to pursue relentlessly anyone responsible for avoidable deaths and injuries in the workplace.