XN000022-1982-06-30 — Page 15

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1982

WAYS TO STOP TRAGIC ACCIDENTS BEING CONSIDERED

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THE LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH IS CONSIDERING POSSIBLE WAYS OF REDUCING THE RISK OF A RECURRENCE OF ACCIDENTS INVOLVING CHILDREN DROWNED IN CONSTRUCTION SITES.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS THE HON N.K. CHAN, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON CHEUNG YAN- LUNG AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY ON THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN DROWNING IN AND AROUND OPEN PITS AT CONSTRUCTION SITES.

THE DANGER ASSOCIATED WITH POOLS OR FLOODED PITS, WHETHER ON CONSTRUCTION SITES OR ELSEWHERE, HAD BEEN HIGHLIGHTED BY THE TRAGIC DEATH OF TWO YOUNG BOYS AT A CONSTRUCTION SITE IN TBUEN WAN AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH, MR CHAN SAID.

HE REGRETTED THAT STATISTICS ON THIS TYPE OF ACCIDENT WERE NOT READILY AVAILABLE.

HE EXPLAINED THAT THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT MAINTAINED DATA ONLY ON ACCIDENTS TO WORKMEN ON CONSTRUCTION SITES AND THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE COMPILED STATISTICS ON DROWNING GENERALLY, BUT NOT CLASS IF IED OR CATEGORISED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO ENABLE EASY EXTRACTION OF THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF ACCIDENTS.

THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO ABLE TO PRODUCE FIGURES RELATING TO CHILDREN DROWNED IN VARIOUS TYPES OF BITUATION, BUT ONLY IF FIREMEN HAD ACTUALLY BEEN CALLED TO THE SCENE.

THEREFORE, HE SAID, A GREAT DEAL OF RESEARCH INVOLVING SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO FIND OUT THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO DIED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS AS A RESULT OF DROWNING IN AND AROUND OPEN PITS AT CONSTRUCTION SITES.

STUDY OF LASER BEAM EFFECTS

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THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH HAS BEEN ASKED TO CARRY OUT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF THE USE OF LASER-BEAM EQUIPMENT IN BEAUTY CLINICS AND OTHER SIMILAR ESTABLISHMENTS, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. THE HON. 3.F. LAM, SAID TODAY.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY MR T.9. LO ON WHETHER ITS USE IS HARMFUL TO THE HUMAN BODY, DR LAM TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT THE USE OF LASERS FOR BEAUTY THERAPY AND IN ENTERTAINMENT FIELD 18 GENERALLY SAFE AS THESE ARE LOW ENERGY, NON-IONISING ELECTRO- MAGNETIC EMISSIONS OF RADIATION.

HE WARNED, HOWEVER, THERE COULD BE ISOLATED CASES OF DANGER TO PERSONS ESPECIALLY IN THE LONG TERM WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE, INVOLVING MAINLY THE EYES.

+AS THE SUBJECT 18 COMPARATIVELY NEW IN HONG KONG, IT NEEDS TO BE EXPLORED IN DEPTH, HE SAID.

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