XN000022-1980-08-09 — Page 2

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 1980

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REASONS FOR CONSTRUCTION SITE ACCIDENTS ******

UNTRAINED WORKERS, LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS, INCREASED MECHANISATION AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF HIGHER BUILDINGS ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO FREQUENT CONSTRUCTION SİTE ACCIDENTS, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY, MR GEOFFREY YEH, SAID TODAY.

MR YEH WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE 1980 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY EXHIBITION AT THE AUTHORITY'S TRAINING CENTRE AT NGAU TAU KOK.

THE NINE-DAY EXHIBITION WAS JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE TRAINING AUTHORITY AND THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.

MR YEH POINTED OUT THAT IN RECENT YEARS THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY'S SUSTAINED BOOM HAD CAUSED AN INFLUX OF INEXPERIENCED LABOUR TO THE INDUSTRY AND HAD RESULTED IN A FAST GROWING WORKFORCE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, CONSTRUCTION WORKS TODAY WERE MUCH LARGER IN SCALE THAN THOSE OF THE PAST AND BUILDINGS WERE GENERALLY TEN STOREYS, OR MORE, HIGH. THESE FACTORS, TOGETHER WITH INCREASED MECHANISATION, HAD RENDERED WORKERS' EXPERIENCE INADEQUATE TO COPE WITH INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.

+SINCE MOST OF THE NEW ENTRANTS ARE UNTRAINED AND LACK BOTH THE KNOWLEDGE TO OPERATE MACHINERY CORRECTLY AND THE CONCEPT OF SAFE OPERATIONS, ACCIDENTS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES HAPPEN MUCH TOO FREQUENTLY, HE ADDED.

MR YEH POINTED OUT THAT CONSTRUCTION SAFETY NEEDED THE CO-OPERATION AND JOINT EFFORT OF ALL CONCERNED.

THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAD IN THE PAST FEW YEARS DONE A GREAT DEAL TO PUBLICISE CONSTRUCTION SAFETY CONCEPTS, AND ITS FACTORY INSPECTORS HAD BEEN CHECKING CONSTRUCTION SITES TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL RELEVANT SAFETY REGULATIONS.

THESE MEASURES HAD YIELDED POSITIVE RESULTS, BUT TO CATER FOR THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, THE DEPARTMENT NEEDED THE NECESSARY RESOURCES AND SUPPORT OF THE RELATED GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS TO FURTHER AND BETTER CARRY OUT ITS TASKS.

SPEAKING OF EMPLOYERS' RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CONSTRUCTION SAFETY, MR YEH SAID THEY SHOULD SET UP A SOUND ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE TO EXECUTE WORKS AND PROVIDE SAFETY FACILITIES.

+ IN THE PURSUIT OF PROF IT THEY SHOULD NOT NEGLECT THE NECESSARY SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHILE PRESSING TO MEET CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMMES,+ HE ADDED.

TURNING TO WORKERS, MR YEH POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS IMPERATIVE FOR THEM TO FULLY REALISE THAT SAFE OPERATIONS PROTECT THEIR OWN INTERESTS AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS, AS WELL AS THEIR OWN. THEY SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO UNDERSTAND ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND ABIDE BY ALL OPERATIONAL REGULATIONS.

/SIMULTANEOUSLY