XN000022-1981-09-10 — Page 9

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1981

VOLUNTARY HELP IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY URGED

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A VOLUNTARY ORGANISATION WITH FULL-TIME SAFETY OFFICERS AS MEMBERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, THE ACTING DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR DAVID LIN, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF AN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ASSOCIATION, MR LIN PRAISED THE ASSOCIATION FOR ITS AIM TO IMPROVE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH IN HONG KONG.

IN AN AGE OF RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE, SAFETY OFFICERS HAD CONTINUOUSLY TO UP-DATE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, HE SAID.

MR LIN POINTED OUT THAT IN RECENT YEARS, THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN CONCENTRATING ITS EFFORTS ON FOUR FRONTS OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY LEGISLATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT, TRAINING AND PUBLICITY.

THE MAIN THRUST IN LEGISLATION HAS BEEN TO INCREASE PENALTIES AND TO IMPROVE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPENSATION FOR WORK INJURY.

THE PENALTIES IN THE FIVE MOST IMPORTANT SETS OF SAFETY REGULATION HAD BEEN INCREASED UP TO $50 000, WHILE THOSE IN THE REMAINING 14 SETS ARE IN THE COURSE OF BEING INCREASED.

TO IMPROVE LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE WAS BEING EXPANDED. IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, THE NUMBER OF FACTORY INSPECTORS INCREASED BY ABOUT 80 PER CENT FROM 81 TO 145 AND IT WAS EXPECTED TO REACH 250 BY 1984.

THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS ACTIVITIES IN CONDUCTING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING COURSES AND GIVING SAFETY TALKS TO STUDENTS. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAD BENEFITED FROM SUCH COURSES AND TALKS INCREASED FROM 13 000 IN 1978 TO 15 000 IN 1980.

DEALING WITH PUBLICITY, MR LIN SAID THAT MORE EMPHASIS WAS BEING PUT ON BRINGING THE SAFETY MESSAGE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THROUGH INTENS IF IED PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS.

THE CO-OPERATION OF EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES WAS ESSENTIAL FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S INDUSTRIAL SAFETY PROMOTION EFFORTS, HE STRESSED.

THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT PLANS TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO REQUIRE COMPULSORY EMPLOYMENT OF SAFETY OFFICERS IN DESIGNATED INDUSTRIES, HE SAID.

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