XN000022-1975-04-30 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1975

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+HOWEVER, + HE SAID, +IT IS ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT THIS SLIGHT RISE IN THE OVERALL RATE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A 23 PER CENT DECREASE IN FATALITIES.+

HE ADDED THAT EMPLOYERS, WORKERS AND THE GOVERNMENT MUST CONTINUE TO REDUCE THE HIGH ACCIDENT RATE WHICH HAD FOR SO LONG PLAGUED HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIES.

THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, HE SAID, REMAINED THE AREA WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF INJURY-CAUSING AUD FATAL ACCIDENTS, WITH 5,401 CONSTRUCTION WORKERS BEING INJURED AND 65 KILLED LAST YEAR 8.5 PER CENT MORE INJURIES AND 6.6 PER CENT MORE DEATHS THAN IN 1973.

FOR THIS REASON, THE CONSTRUCTION SITES (SAFETY) REGULATIONS WERE DROUGHT INTO OPERATION IN 1974 TO PROVIDE STATUTORY DACKING TO THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE IN ITS MISSION OF EDUCATING, PERSUADING AND ASSISTING CONTRACTORS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES TO INSTALL PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS AND ADOPT SAFE SYSTEM OF WORK.

MR. PRICE SAID THE PROSPECT OF PERSUADING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TO RESPOND TO ITS OCLIGATIONS IN

- +AND RESPECT OF THE SAFETY OF WORKERS WAS ENCOURAGING WELL EVIDENCED IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS BY THE READY SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATION OF THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, LTD. AND THE SOCIETY OF BUILDERS,+

HONG KONG'S SECOND MOST DANGEROUS INDUSTRY WAS ITS BIGGEST EMPLOYER, THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY, WHICH HAD 3,818 WORKERS INJURED LAST YEAR INCLUDING 14 FATALITIES

ALMOST TWICE THE NUMDER IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

THE THIRD WORST ACCIDENT RECORD WAS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT AND THE SERVICES INCIDENTAL TO TRANSPORT.

IN THIS GROUP THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS ROSE BY 21.26 PER CENT LAST YEAR, ALTHOUGH FATALITIES DROPPED 23 PER CENT.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THAT PARTICULAR FIELD ROSE SHARPLY FROM 22,316 TO 27,315 DURING THIS PERIOD. +SO SOME COMFORT CAN BE TAKEN FROM THE FACT THAT FATALITIES HAVE DEEN CUT, DESPITE THE RISE IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS AT RISK,+ HE SAID.

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