XN000022-1980-03-25 — Page 6

TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 1980

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TO REDUCE THIS TRAGIC TOLL OF INJURIES AND DEATHS. THE GOVERNMENT HAD INTRODUCED MANY SETS OF REGULATIONS UNDER THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS ORDINANCE TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PEOPLE AT WORK.

AND MORE WERE BEING PREPARED COVERING THE AREAS OF ELECTRICAL SAFETY AND FIRE SAFETY.

FOR ITS PART, THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S FACTORY INSPECTORATE HAD ADOPTED A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH TO PROMOTE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.

FIRSTLY, REGULAR INSPECTIONS WERE MADE BY FACTORY INSPECTORS TO INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS TO ENFORCE LEGAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS, AND THE NUMBER OF FACTORY INSPECTORS AVAILABLE FOR THIS PURPOSE WAS BEING STEADILY INCREASED.

SECONDLY, INVESTIGATIONS WERE CONDUCTED INTO SERIOUS ACCIDENTS WITH A VIEW TO ESTABLISHING THE CAUSES AND PREVENTING THEIR RECURRENCE.

MR HAMMOND EXPLAINED THAT IN CASES WHERE DEATHS OCCURRED HIS DEPARTMENT WAS OFTEN OBLIGED TO WAIT FOR AN INQUEST BEFORE IT COULD MAKE THE FINDINGS KNOWN GENERALLY.

+1 THEREFORE WELCOME THE PROPOSALS WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CORONERS AND THEREBY SPEED UP THE HOLDING OF INQUESTS, HE SAID.

THIRDLY, MR HAMMOND CONTINUED, THE INSPECTORATE UNDERTOOK THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF EDUCATING MANAGEMENT AND WORKERS IN ACCIDENT PREVENTION AND SAFE WORKING PRACTICES.

APART FROM ON-THE-SPOT ADVICE GIVEN TO MANAGEMENT BY FACTORY INSPECTORS, SAFETY TRAINING COURSES WERE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE BY THE DEPARTMENT'S INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE FOR INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYEES AT ALL LEVELS.

THE CENTRE ALSO ORGANISED EXHIBITIONS, DISTRIBUTED SAFETY POSTERS AND PRODUCED SAFETY FILMS WITH THE AIM OF PUTTING ACROSS TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE THE MESSAGE OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.

+HOWEVER, GOVERNMENT CANNOT HOPE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM ON ITS OWN. TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT MANAGEMENT AND WORKERS ALSO PLAY THEIR RESPECTIVE PARTS BY JOINING A VOLUNTARY

INDUSTRIAL SAFETY MOVEMENT, HE STRESSED.

MR HAMMOND POINTED OUT THAT SUCH A MOVEMENT WAS BEGINNING TO TAKE SHAPE UNDER THE COMMITTEE'S GUIDANCE.

THE COMMITTEE INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES FROM LOCAL MAJOR INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS AS WELL AS MEMBERS FROM THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD.

MR HAMMOND SAID HE HAD BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THE KEEN INTEREST IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY WHICH HAD BEEN SHOWN RECENTLY BY SEVERAL OTHER ORGANISATIONS REPRESENTING BOTH MANAGEMENT AND WORKERS.

/+LEGISLATION