XN000022-1978-08-03 — Page 10

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1978

...BOUR COMMISSIONER OPENS CONFERENCE FOR FACTORY INSPECTORS

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THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. NEIL HENDERSON, TODAY (THURSDAY) THANKED HONG KONG'S FACTORY INSPECTORS FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO PREVENT OR DEAL WITH THE +TERRIBLE TOLL OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS+ AND SAID THAT THE INSPECTORATE WAS UNDERGOING A PHASED EXPANSION TO ENABLE IT TO GIVE MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN INDUSTRY.

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R. HENDERSON WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF A TWO-DAY RESIDENTIAL CONFERENCE WHICH THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT IS HOLDING FOR ITS FACTORY INSPECTORS AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY IN SHA TIN.

HE SAID: IN RECENT YEARS THE TERRIBLE TOLL OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, BOTH IN TERMS OF HUMAN SUFFERING AND OF FINANCIAL LOSS TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY, HAS STEADILY RISEN TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE IS ALL BUT OVERWHELMED BY THE VOLUME OF YORK TO BE DONE.

J.

+1 AM VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT THIS HAS MADE

THE TASK OF THE FACTORY INSPECTOR EVEN MORE DIFFICULT THAN FORMERLY AND I WISH TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR GREAT EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH THE EVER-INCREASING WORKLOAD,+ HE ADDED.

MR. HENDERSON SAID THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE SERVICE WAS A VITAL PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S DRIVE TO IMPROVE EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS IN ALL THE IR ASPECTS.

COMMENTING ON THE FACT THAT THE CONFERENCE IS REVIEWING AND APPRAISING THE INSPECTORATE WORK, HE SAID: +AS THE SERVICE EXPANDS, AS THE NUMBER OF REGULATIONS AND OTHER SAFETY MEASURES INCREASE, THERE IS A GREATER. NEED TO DO THIS REGULARLY.

THE TWO-DAY RESIDENTIAL CONFERENCE IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND TO BE HELD BY A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT AND IT IS BEING ATTENDED BY ALL 104 MEMBERS OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S FACTORY INSPECTORATE.

FILM

THE PROGRAMME INCLUDES A BRIEFING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INDUSTRIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PLAN FOR 1978-1982 BY THE CHIEF FACTORY INSPECTOR, MR. JOHN WOOD DISCUSSIONS ON DIFFICULTIES IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF SAFETY LEGISLATION SHOWS ON CONSTRUCTION SAFETY, MACHINE SAFETY AND CHEMICAL SAFETY- EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXISTING SAFETY LEGISLATION WITH REFERENCE TO POWER PRESSES, PLASTIC INJECTION MOULDING MACHINES3, AND SEAING MACHINES AND A TALK BY DR. NORMAN KO, OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, ON NOISE CONTROL IN INDUSTRY.

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