XN000022-1982-04-21 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1982

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THE RATING SYSTEM IS A COST-EFFICIENT TECHNIQUE IN VIEW OF THE HUGE GAP BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF QUALIFIED INSPECTORS AND MANUFACTURING AND RELATED ESTABLISHMENTS, WHICH STOOD AT

58 000 AS OF SEPTEMBER 1981. THE NUMBER OF FACTORY INSPECTORS, MEANWHILE, HAS JUST TOPPED THE 200-MARK.

IT TAKES ABOUT TWO TO THREE YEARS OF TRAINING BEFORE

A CANDIDATE CAN SIT FOR THE INSPECTOR QUALIFICATION TESTS.

UNDER A FIVE-YEAR FACTORY INSPECTORATE EXPANSION PLAN BEGAN IN 1979/80, WHEN THERE WERE ONLY 145 INSPECTORS, STAFF STRENGTH WILL BE INCREASED TO 250 BY 1983/84.

+WE WOULD LIKE TO STRESS, HOWEVER, THAT OUR PRIMARY OBJECT IS NOT TO TAKE PEOPLE TO COURT BUT TO RAISE THE SAFETY CONSCIOUSNESS OF BOTH EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES. WIELDING A BIG STICK MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO GO ABOUT IT. ENFORCEMENT MUST BE BACKED WITH PUBLIC EDUCATION AND SPECIALISED SAFETY TRAINING COURSES, THE HEAD OF THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE ADDED.

A HOST OF PUBLICITY ACTIVITIES PROMOTING WORKER SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE IS ORGANISED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S PUBLICITY UNIT AND INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE, WHICH IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING TRAINING COURSES ÎN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY FOR FACTORY INSPECTORS, SAFETY OFFICERS AND PERSONNEL AT SUPERVISORY LEVEL IN PRIVATE INDUSTRY.

THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE BEGAN ADOPTING A NEW APPROACH LAST YEAR BY COMBINING ENTERTAINMENT WITH INDUSTRIAL SAFETY PUBLICITY. THIS HAS GENERATED UNPRECEDENTED PUBLIC INTEREST IN A SERIES OF PUBLICITY EXERCISES, INCLUDING THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TELEMATCH (A 10-EPISODE TV SERIES), SIX INDUSTRIAL SAFETY PICTURE QUIZ CONTESTS, AN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY GALA NIGHT AND OTHERS.

AND AN 11-DAY SAFETY EXTRAVAGANZA, A MULTI-VISION, AUDIO-VISUAL PRESENTATION MIXING EDUCATION ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY WITH ENTERTAINMENT AND PRIZES FOR AUDIENCES, WAS SO WELL-RECEIVED EARLY THIS YEAR THAT IT WAS DECIDED TO CARRY THE PROJECT TO FOUR OTHER INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.

THE CENTRE ALSO MAINTAINS A PERMANENT EXHIBITION OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY DEVICES AND DEMONSTRATIONS BY SCALED-DOWN MODELS OF SAFE WORKING PRACTICE. IT HAS ALSO A +BLACK MUSEUM+ IN WHICH ARE SHOWN THE REMAINS OF APPLIANCES AND EQUIPMENT WHICH CAUSED FATAL OR SERIOUS ACCIDENTS.

THESE VIVID REMINDERS OF THE DIRE CONSEQUENCES OF UNSAFE WORKING PRACTICES AND THE PERMANENT EXHIBITS ARE LOCATED AT THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE, CANTON ROAD GOVERNMENT OFFICES, THIRD FLOOR, 393 CANTON ROAD, KOWLOON (TEL. 3-688111 EXT. 347).

LAST YEAR, THE CENTRE CONDUCTED 255 INDUSTRIAL SAFETY COURSES FOR 7 900 PERSONS, INCLUDING 22 SPECIAL PURPOSE COURSES FOR APPRENTICES IN SEVEN FACTORIES, THREE GOVERNMENT WORKSHOPS, ONE SCHOOL AND TWO CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES,

/ADDITIONALLY,