XN000022-1974-08-18 — Page 5

UN

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 1974

OTHER SAFETY FEATURES INCLUDE:

A WORKING PLATFORM WITH SAFETY FENCE TO MINIMISE THE RISK OF PEOPLE FALLING INSIDE THE CAISSONS.

TOE BOARDS AROUND THE EXCAVATION OPENING TO PREVENT MATERIALS DROPPING IN.

SPECIALLY DESIGNED AIR BLOWERS PUSHING THROUGH ENOUGH FRESH AIR FOR UP TO 800 AIR CHANGES AN HOUR.

A SERIES OF SPECIAL LIGHTS RUNNING DOWN THE CAISSON

TO GIVE ADDITIONAL LIGHT.

ELECTRIC AND STRING-PULLED BELLS FOR IMMEDIATE COMMUNICATION. SMALL METAL HAND GRIPS PLACED 18 INCHES APART ON EACH SIDE OF THE CAISSON TO GIVE WORKERS AN INSTANT EMERGENCY ESCAPE SYSTEM.

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IN RETURN FOR THE SAFETY MEASURES, THE COMPANY EXPECTS AND HAS RECEIVED A HIGH LEVEL OF WORKMANSHIP AND PRODUCTIVITY. WORKERS WHO HAVE PRODUCED SLOPPY PERFORMANCES HAVE BEEN PUT OFF, ON THE GROUNDS THAT POOR WORKMANSHIP ON VITAL MATERIALS COULD ENDANGER THE LIVES OF THE EXCAVATORS WORKING BELOW.

SAYS MR. TANG: +THESE MEASURES HAVE COST US A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT. BUT BY GIVING OUR WORKERS A FEELING OF SECURITY, THEY ARE MORE RELAXED AND HAVE GIVEN US HUCH GREATER EFFICIENCY.+

A HIGH-LEVEL TEAM OF LABOUR DEPARTMENT EXPERTS YISITED THE SITE LAST WEEK AND CAME AWAY HIGHLY IMPRESSED BY WHAT THEY DESCRIBED AS A SAFETY +MODEL+ FOR BUILDING PROJECTS.

BUT THEY SAY THE MEASURES ADOPTED VOLUNTARILY BY THE COMPANY AND ITS ATTITUDE TO SITE SAFETY ARE THE EXCEPTION RATHER THAN THE RULE.

+WHAT WE ARE DETERMINED TO DO,+ SAYS MR. TSAO, +1S TO MAKE IT THE RULE, RATHER THAN THE EXCEPTION.+

HONG KONG-UNITED STATES TEXTILES TALKS

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REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS WILL HOLD TALKS TOMORROW MONDAY) ON TECHNICAL MATTERS RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED HONG KONG/US TEXTILE AGREEMENT.

THE UNITED STATES DELEGATION IS LED BY MR. A.J. JURICH, MR. LAWRENCE MILLS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, WILL HEAD THE HONG KONG DELEGATION.

A SPOKESMAN OF THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT SAID: +THE TALKS ARE ENTIRELY ON OPERATIONAL MATTERS, AND ARE PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH THE EXPORT AUTHORISATION SYSTEM FOR CATEGORIES WITHOUT SPECIFIC LIMITS WHICH THE DEPARTMENT WILL OPERATE IN THE NEXT TEXTILE YEAR TO REPLACE THE EXISTING TRIGGER POINT SYSTEM.+

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