XN000022-1974-08-28 — Page 2

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1974.

FEWER FATALITIES IN WORK ACCIDENTS

BUT INJURY RATE UP

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THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED AT WORK IN HONG KONG FELL BY 25 PER CENT IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR

WAS AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF INJURIES.

BUT THERE

FIGURES RELEASED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT TODAY SHOWED THAT 118 WORKERS DIED AND ANOTHER 14,185 WERE INJURED IN WORK ACCIDENTS BETWEEN JANUARY AND JUNE,

THIS IS AN OVERALL INCREASE ON THE TOTAL DURING THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR WHEN 158 WORKERS WERE KILLED AND 13.570 INJURED.

THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING OFFICER OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT. MR. NICK CARTER, SAID TODAY ALTHOUGH IT WAS PLEASING THAT THE NUMBER OF FATALITIES HAD FALLEN, INJURY-CAUSING ACCIDENTS HAD INCREASED BY MORE THAN 600.

MR. CARTER SAID A BREAKDOWN OF THE FIGURES SHOWED THAT 2,770 WORKERS WERE INJURED IN ACCIDENTS INVOLVING POWER-DRIVEN MACHINES= ANOTHER 2,079 WERE INJURED WHEN THEY STEPPED ON OR STRUCK AGAINST OBJECTS AND 2,003 OTHER INJURIES RESULTED FRON MANUAL HANDLING.

THE THREE GROUPS REPRESENTED ABOUT HALF OF ALL THE ACCIDENTS REPORTED, HE ADDED.

MR. CARTER SAID THE WORST ASPECT OF WORK ACCIDENTS WAS THAT MOST, IF NOT ALL, COULD BE AVOIDED.

HE STRESSED THAT THE PROPER GUARDING OF DANGEROUS PARTS

OF MACHINERY WAS A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT.

+MANAGEMENT IS RESPONSIBLE NOT ONLY FOR PROPER GUARDING BUT ALSO FOR ENSURING THAT A GUARD IS KEPT IN PLACE AT ALL TIMES WHILE THE MACHINE IS IN USE,+ HE SAID.

+ I ALSO CANNOT STRESS TOO STRONGLY THAT POOR STANDARDS OF INDUSTRIAL HOUSEKEEPING ARE THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR

IN THESE ACCIDENTS.

+ IF WE COULD ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN PROPER STANDARDS, MANY ACCIDENTS INVOLVING STEPPING ON OR STRIKING AGAINST OBJECTS COULD BE ELIMINATED.

+THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS RESULTING FROM MANUAL HANDLING - OR SHOULD I SAY MISHANDLING - CAN BE CONSIDERABLY REDUCED IF ONLY WORKERS ARE TAUGHT CORRECT HANDLING METHODS.

+THIS IS EASILY DONE. THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT RUNS A CONTINUOUS SERIES OF 2-1/2-DAY COURSES ON MANUAL LIFTING AND HANDLING.+

MR. CARTER SAID THAT UNTIL MANAGEMENT FULLY ACCEPTED ITS LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR EMPLOYEES' SAFETY, INCREASINGLY HIGHER NUMEERS OF UNNECESSARY ACCIDENTS WOULD CONTINUE.

+ACCIDENT PREVENTION REQUIRES TOTAL INVOLVEMENT BY

MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING AND EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS OF

EMPLOYMENT, COUPLED WITH GOOD SUPERVISION, TO ACHIEVE ANY CHANCE OF SUCCESS, + HE ADDED.