XN000022-1975-04-30 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1975

WARNING ON MACHINERY ACCIDENTS ******

THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. IAN PRICE TODAY WARNED INDUSTRIALISTS THAT IMPROPERLY-USED OR BADLY-GUARDED MACHINES COULD BE LETHAL WEAPONS.

LAST YEAR MACHINERY ACCIDENTS KILLED EIGHT WORKERS AND INJURED 6,753, HE TOLD A LUNCHEON OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG ISLAND EAST.

MR. PRICE SAID THAT AS A MAJOR CAUSE OF WORK ACCIDENTS, MACHINERY WAS NOW SECOND ONLY TO FALLS OF PERSONS AND STEPPING ON OR STRIKING AGAINST OBJECTS, WHICH LAST YEAR

AN INCREASE OF LED TO 8,223 INJURIES AND 66 FATALITIES

21.6 PER CENT IN INJURIES, BUT A DECREASE OF SEVEN PER CENT ON 1973'S FATALITY FIGURES.

DURING THE PAST YEAR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN COMPILING MORE COMPREHENSIVE STATISTICS ON MACHINERY ACCIDENTS WITH THE AIM OF OBTAINING MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE PATTERN OF THESE ACCIDENTS.

MR. PRICE SAID HE HOPED TO STRENGTHEN THE PRESENT PROVISIONS ON MACHINERY GUARDING IN THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS REGULATIONS BY A CODE OF COMPREHENSIVE REGULATIONS.

+1 HAVE RECENTLY SUBMITTED MY PROPOSALS ON THIS CODE TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR APPROVAL OF ITS PRINCIPLES,+ HE SAID.

THE COMMISSIONER URGED INDUSTRIALISTS WHO HAD NOT DONE SO, TO LOOK CRITICALLY AT THE STANDARDS OF GUARDING THEIR MACHINES AND TO TAKE ANY REMEDIAL MEASURES BELATED.

HOWEVER

ALTHOUGH THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAD TAKEN THE LEAD - AND WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO -- BY PROVIDING FREE ADVISORY, TRAINING AND INSPECTION SERVICES TO EMPLOYERS, MR. PRICE SAID IT WAS NOW UP TO EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE SAFER WORKING CONDITIONS, DESIGN SAFER METHODS OF WORK, ENSURE ADEQUATE TRAINING FOR THEIR WORKERS AND SUPERVISE THEM UNDER APPROPRIATE SAFETY RULES AND PROCEDURES.

ON THE OTHER HAND, HE STRESSED THAT WORKERS MUST, FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR OWN SAFETY, RESPECT SUCH RULES AND PROCEDURES AND EXERCISE THE DUE DEGREE OF CARE AT WORK.

MR. PRICE POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE, OVERALL, 31,014 REPORTED. ACCIDENTS IN 1974 A SMALL 1.6 PER CENT INCREASE OVER THE 1973 FIGURE, BUT NEVERTHELESS A CONTINUATION OF THE GENERAL UPWARD MOVEMENT.

/+HOWEVER,