XN000022-1974-10-15 — Page 4

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1974.

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FINED

FOR BREACHING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY REGULATIONS

A COMPANY RESPONSIBLE FOR A KWAI CHUNG BUILDING PROJECT WHERE TWO WORKERS DIED IN MULTI-STOREY FALLS WITHIN THREE DAYS WAS FINED A TOTAL OF $7,000 IN TSUEN WAN COURT TODAY FOR BREACHES OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY REGULATIONS.

MAGISTRATE MR. F.. BLACKWELL IMPOSED THE FINES AFTER HE HAD ACCOMPANIED COUNSEL FOR THE PROSECUTION AND THE DEFENCE TO THE SITE WHERE THE MEN WERE KILLED ON JULY 12 AND JULY 15.

WHEN THE COURT HEARING RESUMED AFTER THE INSPECTION, DEFENCE COUNSEL MR. ANDREW CHRISTIE SAID HIS CLIENT, THE NGO KEE CONSTRUCTION CO. LTD., WOULD CHANGE THE ORIGINAL PLEA OF NOT GUILTY TO ONE OF GUILTY.

AT AN EARLIER HEARING OF THE CASE ON SEPTEMBER 13, MR. BLACKWELL HAD ORDERED THE COMPANY TO SECURELY FENCE HOLES IN THE PARTLY-COMPLETED BUILDING AFTER BEING TOLD THAT THE COMPANY HAD FAILED TO DO SO DESPITE REPEATED WARNINGS BY LABOUR

DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS.

THE COMPANY WAS SUMMONSED UNDER THE SAFETY PROVISIONS OF THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS REGULATIONS.

IT IS THE FIRST TIME A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY HAS BEEN PROSECUTED FOR IGNORING THE RECENTLY-INTRODUCED SAFETY REGULATIONS,

DURING THE EARLIER HEARING, CROWN COUNSEL, MR. M. SHARWOOD, TOLD THE COURT THAT BOTH WORKERS DIED WHEN THEY FELL THROUGH HOLES IN THE FLOOR OF A PARTIALLY-COMPLETED GODOWN/INDUSTRIAL BUILDING.

WHEN TWO FACTORY INSPECTORS VISITED THE SITE ON JULY 12 FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF THE FIRST MAN, THEY DISCOVERED

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HE HAD OVERBALANCED AND FALLEN THROUGH A HOLE IN THE FLOOR ON THE FOURTH FLOOR, HE SAID.

THEY DISCOVERED ABOUT TWENTY HOLES ON EACH OF THE SEVEN FLOORS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, VARYING IN SIZE FROM 24 FT. BY 40 FT. TO 24 FT. BY THREE FT.

MR. SHARWOOD SAID THE INSPECTORS HAD CATEGORICALLY DRAWN THE ATTENTION OF THE SITE AGENT TO THE HOLES, POINTING OUT TO HIN THAT THEY WERE A CONTRAVENTION OF OFFICIAL SAFETY REGULATIONS.

THEY HAD TOLD THE AGENT THE HOLES WERE ''SHEER-DEATH TRAPS''.

THE SITE AGENT HAD AGREED TO SUGGESTED SAFETY MEASURES AND PROMISED TO IMPLEMENT THEM, MR. SHARWOOD SAID.

BUT WHEN ONE OF THE INSPECTORS RETURNED TO THE SITE THREE DAYS LATER TO SEE WHAT PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE, HE LEARNED THAT A SECOND WORKER HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN A FATAL FALL FROM A FLOOR OPENING ON THE FIFTH FLOOR.

MR. SHARWOOD SAID THAT AN EXAMINATION OF THE SITE HAD SHOWN THAT NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE TO REMOVE THE DANGER TO WORKERS OF FALLING THROUGH THE FLOOR OPENINGS.

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