XN000022-1977-07-26 — Page 4

TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1977

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SETTING UP OF VOLUNTARY INDUSTRIAL SAFETY ORGANISATION SUGGESTED

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THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR, PETER WILLIAMS TODAY (TUESDAY) SUGGESTED THAT INDUSTRY COULD DEVELOP A VOLUNTARY SAFETY ORGANISATION TO HELP PREVENT INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS.

MR. WILLIAMS TOLD A FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES LUNCHEON AUDIENCE_THAT THERE WERE STILL GAPS IN ACCIDENT PREVENTION DESPITE THE GOVERNMENT'S LEGISLATION, ENFORCEMENT, AND EDUCATION THROUGH ITS INSPECTION SYSTEM.

EXPLAINING THE ROLE OF A POSSIBLE VOLUNTARY INDUSTRIAL SAFETY ORGANISATION, MR. WILLIAMS SAID, IN GENERAL TERMS IT COULD PRODUCE CODES OF SAFE WORKING PRACTICES ESTABLISH A FORUM FOR THE INTERCHANGE OF IDEAS- PROVIDE A TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE FOR MATTERS OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PROVIDE TRAINING COURSES FOR INDUSTRY AND STIMULATE INFORMED INTEREST IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND HEALTH THROUGH PUBLICITY SERVICES.

MR. WILLIAMS SAID THAT THE ANNUAL TOLL OF OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES AND DEATH WAS HUGE AND THAT LAST YEAR ALONE THERE WERE MORE THAN 45,000 OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENTS AND 249 DEATHS. ACCIDENTS ACCOUNTED FOR NEARLY 70 PER CENT OF THIS TOTAL.

INDUSTRIAL

+THE AMOUNT PAID OUT AS COMPENSATION UNDER THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ORDINANCE FOR ABOUT 35,000 SETTLED CASES WAS $22 MILLION, AND THIS SUM DOES NOT INCLUDE INDIRECT COSTS SUCH AS MEDICAL EXPENSES, INTERFERENCE WITH PRODUCTION, DAMAGE TO PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, SPOILAGE OF MATERIAL OR COMPENSATION PAID AS CIVIL DAMAGES, HE SAID.

+ IT IS RECOGNISED INTERNATIONALLY THAT SUCH INDIRECT COSTS AMOUNT TO FOUR TO FIVE TIMES THE ACTUAL AMOUNT PAID IN COMPENSATION, AND IT CAN THEREFORE BE SAID THAT THE LOSS LAST YEAR WAS IN THE ORDER OF $100 MILLION, HE ADDED.

+ IT IS CLEAR THAT HONG KONG CANNOT BEAR SUCH LOSSES AND THAT INCREASED PRACTICAL PREVENTIVE EFFORT BY MANAGEMENT, LABOUR AND THE GOVERNMENT MUST BE MADE, JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY, HE STRESSED.

+ IN THE END, ALL OF THESE LOSSES MUST BE BORNE BY THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. AND THEREFORE IT IS ONLY PROPER THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE AN ACTIVE PART IN THE EFFORT TO KEEP WORKERS FROM BEING INJURED OR KILLED BY ACCIDENTS, + HE SAID.

HE REFERRED TO THE MANY NEW SETS OF SAFETY REGULATIONS INTRODUCED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT IN RECENT YEARS AND THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE'S INSPECTION OF WORKPLACES TO ENSURE THE MAINTENANCE OF ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS.

/+BUT REGULATORY