XN000022-1973-03-23 — Page 7

- 6

Friday, March 23, 1973

ACCIDENTS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES

Five Killed And Over 270 Hurt In February

Five workers were killed and 271 injured last month in accidents on

construction sites, according to reports received by the Labour Department.

Two of those killed died as a result of injuries sustained while

working with powder-actuated tools.

Mr. A.H. Carter, Industrial Safety Training Officer of the Labour

Department, stressed that such tools were not dangerous if used in the proper

manner.

said.

"Workers who use these tools should receive proper training," he

"If the tools are used in the right way, they are safe and efficient."

Commenting on the accident at the Connaught Centre on February 26

in which two workmen died when they fell from the 32nd floor, Mr. Carter said:

"The accident was the result of a chain of events namely, apparent lack of

maintenance of the cradle; lack of adequate supervision; and the unsafe act

of an individual.

"The latter action is the most difficult to control, because supervisors

cannot possibly keep an eye on their workers all the time.

"To overcome this, adequate safety training should be provided to

make workers aware of the hazards of their jobs not only for their own personal

safety, but also the safety of others."

-

Mr. Carter said that as in the month of January, an unusually high

percentage of accidents last month resulted from people tripping on or against

objects.

/In February,