XN000022-1973-09-20 — Page 9

8

Thursday, September 20, 1973

IPORTANCE OF PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT UNDERLINED

The correct use of personal protective equipment could go a long

way towards protecting workers against some of the dangers of work in

industry, the Deputy Commissioner of Labour, Mr. J.N. Henderson, said today.

Mr. Henderson was officially opening a two-day Industrial Safety

Seminar sponsored by John D. Hutchison and Co. Ltd. the Hong Kong agent

for Protector International Pty Ltd., manufacturers of industrial safety

equipment.

The seminar held at the Industrial Safety Training Centre of

the Labour Department - is being attended by some 50 executives from the

building industry, the shipbuilding and repairing industry and other utility

companies.

Mr. Henderson said that, for example, 14 people were killed and

6,481 injured last year as a result of tripping over objects or being struck

by falling objects.

"The wearing of safety helmets and safety shoes might have pre-

vented many of these accidents," he said,

lir. Henderson said the government was deeply concerned about the

"Please do remember that

human suffering caused by industrial accidents.

we are talking about people, not statistics."

He said the use of protective equipment did not always appeal

to workers in Hong Kong

-

and indeed elsewhere

-

for reasons of comfort.

It was therefore up to the management to persuade and convince them to

do so.

/In fact,