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degree of safety in the handling of Dangerous Goods, and this could best be exercised by officers of the Marine Department, while the physical supervision in the enforcement of adequate fire precautions should devolve upon the Police. The Committee is of the opinion that, with the large volume of Dangerous Goods moving inwards and outwards in the waters of the Colony in all classes of vessel down to and in- cluding native craft, it would be impossible to provide continuous supervision to ensure the implementation in detail of the proposed Regulations. The Committee consider that the least that should be done would be for periodic raids and inspections to be conducted, as occasion required, and for this purpose a close co-operation between the Marine Department and the Police is vital in order that the latter would at all times be informed of the vessels engaged in handling these goods. Even this recommendation, to be effective, must involve an increase in staff, together with transport provisions, for both Police and Marine Department. It is recommended that Government rive par- ticular consideration to this essential service which, although non revenue-earning, vitally affects the safety of the Fort, and make adequate provision at once for increased staff and additional patrol vessels.
On land, also, an increase in the inspectorate staff of the Fire Brigade is essential if adequate supervision of the storage, conveyance and handling of Dangerous Goods is to be carried out. Section 84 of the Ting On Fire Commission's Report stressed this necessity and it is obvious that at present the Fire Brigade is seriously under-staffed. Every endeavour should be made to recruit additional officers at an early date.
33.
Application of the Dangerous Goods Regulations to the Services
Section 19 of the Dangerous Goods Ordinance, No. 1 of 1873, reads as follows : "This Ordinance shall not apply to His Majesty's Ships of war or to the ships of war of any foreign nation or to any stores or depots or other premises belonging to His Majesty's Government or to His Majesty's naval, military or air force authorities within the Colony": and it is to be presumed that a similar exemption will be made in any new Ordinance which may be enacted.
We have made some comments on certain of the stores or depots used by the Services, but at this stage we are concerned with the application of the Dangerous Goods Regulations in time of peace to Service personnel outside the stores or depots or other premises used by the Services. The Traffic Regulations are enforced against Service vehicles on the roads and all naval vessels, not having the status of ships of war, must obey the Harbour Regulations. Te are much concerned, therefore, with instances where the Dangerous Goods Reculations, enacted for the general safety of the public, are openly ignored by the Services.
We feel under an obligation to comment on the practice of Naval ships ammunitioning in the Harbour in the Naval Anchorage off His Majesty's Dockyard. We recognise that this procedure is conducted with every precaution, but an accident of any magnitude in this area might cause substantial damage in the centre of the town. We consider it essential that the ammunitionin of Service vessels should only take place, with the cognisance of the Director of Marine, in the Eastern Dangerous Goods Anchorage.
The movement of Explosives over the roads of the Colony, at times through highly congested built-up areas, should also only take place with the full cognisance of the Commissioner of Police, who will issue a removal permit and assure himself that adequate precautions are being taken in the handling and guarding of the Explosives in transit by the Service concerned.
/34.
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