XN000022-1980-08-07 — Page 2

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1980

CONSTRUCTION ROPES REQUIRE TESTS

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WIRE ROPES ON CONSTRUCTION SITES SHOULD BE TESTED BEFORE BEING USED AND THEN EXAMINED EVERY SIX MONTHS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

AND LIFTING APPLIANCES USED AT CONSTRUCTION SITES WERE ALSO SUBJECTED TO THE SAME REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE CONSTRUCTION SITES (SAFETY) REGULATIONS.

DETAILS OF THE FREQUENCY OF INSPECTION, TEST AND EXAMINATION WERE CONTAINED IN A GUIDE TO THE REGULATIONS.

THE SPOKESMAN WAS COMMENTING ON A RECENT COURT CASE IN WHICH A BUILDING CONTRACTOR WAS FINED THE MAXIMUM OF $10 000 FOR USING A WIRE ROPE SLING WITHOUT ENSURING THAT IT HAD BEEN THOROUGHLY EXAMINED BY A COMPETENT EXAMINER WITHIN THE PRECEDING SIX MONTHS.

THE OFFENCE WAS DETECTED FOLLOWING AN ACCIDENT AT A CONSTRUCTION SITE LAST MARCH IN WHICH A WORKER WAS KILLED INSIDE A CAISSON,

THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE WIRE ROPE SLING OF AN ELECTRIC WINCH USED FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SPOIL IN A METAL BUCKET FROM THE CAISSON SNAPPED, RESULTING IN THE BUCKET, THE PULLEY AND THE WINCH FALLING INTO THE CAISSON AND HITTING THE WORKER.

INVESTIGATIONS SHOWED THE STRENGTH OF THE SLING HAD BEEN WEAKENED DUE TO PROLONGED USE.

FORMER SEYCHELLES CHIEF JUSTICE APPOINTED DISTRICT JUDGE

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FORMER SEYCHELLES CHIEF JUSTICE, SIR LOUIS GEORGES SOUYAVE, ARRIVED IN HONG KONG LAST WEEK TO TAKE UP HIS APPOINTMENT AS DISTRICT JUDGE.

SIR GEORGES (54) WAS A BARRISTER AND ATTORNEY IN THE SEYCHELLES AFTER BEING CALLED TO THE ENGLISH BAR IN 1949.

IN 1956 HE BECAME ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL AND WAS APPOINTED PUISNE JUDGE IN 1964.

FOR SIX YEARS HE WAS CHIEF JUSTICE UNTIL 1976 WHEN HE BECAME RESIDENT JUDGE OF THE HIGH COURT AND BRITISH JUDGE OF THE JOINT COURT OF THE CONDOMINIUM OF THE NEW HEBRIDES. HE OCCUPIED THESE POSTS UNTIL EARLIER THIS YEAR.

SIR GEORGES, MARRIED AND WITH THREE DAUGHTERS, WAS MADE A KNIGHT BACHELOR IN 1971.

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