XN000022-1980-09-26 — Page 5

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1980

APATHETIC ATTITUDE TOWARDS INDUSTRIAL SAFETY

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THE ATTENTION AND INTEREST OF EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES HAVE TO BE AROUSED AND THEIR PRESENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS SAFETY IN THE IR WORKING ENVIRONMENT HAVE TO BE DRASTICALLY CHANGED IF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS ARE TO BE REDUCED TO ANY SIGNIFICANT LEVEL.

THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR DAVID LIN, SAID THIS TONIGHT (FRIDAY) WHEN HE WAS SPEAKING AT A DINNER MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

TO ACHIEVE THESE AIMS, MR LIN SAID THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAD LAUNCHED AN ON-GOING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY CAMPAIGN SINCE 1978 WHICH INCLUDED LARGE-SCALE SAFETY EXHIBITIONS, PRESS INTERVIEWS AND RELEASES ON SAFETY MEASURES, SCREENING OF SHORT SAFETY FILMS ON TELEVISION, HOLDING SAFETY QUIZ PROGRAMMES IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PRESS, PUBLISHING SAFETY GUIDES AND POSTERS AND CO- SPONSORING OTHER PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES WITH INDUSTRY AND TRADE ORGANISATIONS.

WITH RISING PUBLIC INTEREST, ENLIGHTENED EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES IN INDUSTRY HAVE BEGUN TO FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT. +

+BUT, HE SAID, OLD HABITS DIE HARD. THE ATTITUDE OF THE MAJORITY OF EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES TOWARDS INDUSTRIAL SAFETY REMAINS NEVERTHELESS APATHETIC.

MR LIN CONCEDED THERE WERE SIGNS THAT SOME MAJOR EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATIONS WERE ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE THIS PHENOMENON.

+HOWEVER, HE CONTINUED, ATTEMPTS MADE BY THESE BODIES SO FAR MADE IN THE FIELD OF PROMOTING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY ARE FEW AND INADEQUATE.+

HE BELIEVED A STRONG VOLUNTARY INDUSTRIAL SAFETY MOVEMENT IN HONG KONG WOULD HAVE A DECISIVE EFFECT IN REDUCING ACCIDENTS.

+ONE OF THE PRIME OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION IS TO CREATE AND NURTURE A VOLUNTARY MOVEMENT ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AMONG THE INDUSTRIAL POPULACE IN HONG KONG.

+ IT ALSO AIMS AT PRODUCING CODES OF SAFE WORKING PRACTICES FOR A RANGE OF TRADES OR INDUSTRIES FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD,+ HE SAID.

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THE COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED IN 1978 - IS A TRIPARTITE NON- STATUTORY CONSULTATIVE BODY UNDER THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD. IT IS COMPOSED OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MAJOR INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS, EMPLOYERS' AND EMPLOYEES' REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD AS WELL AS OFFICERS OF THE LABOUF DEPARTMENT.

/IT ALCO