XN000022-1983-05-20 — Page 9

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1983

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NOTE TO EDITORS:

MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES ARE INVITED TO COVER THE VISIT TO THE BUDDHIST CHI LIN HOME FOR THE AGED AT 10 AM AND THE VEGETARIAN DINNER AT THE SIK SIK YUEN FUNG MING HALL AT 6 PM ON SUNDAY (MAY 22).

PLASTICS INDUSTRY HOLDS SAFETY SEMINAR

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EMPLOYERS HAVE TO PROVIDE A SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND SAFETY EQUIPMENTS FOR THEIR WORKERS, AN UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR WONG PO-YAN ́SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF A PLASTICS INDUSTRY SAFETY SEMINAR HELD AT THE CHINESE Y.M.C.A. IN WATERLOO ROAD, MR WONG SAID THAT WORKERS MUST ALSO GIVE FULL SUPPORT BY STRICTLY OBSERVING SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS.

HE SAID THAT THIS FIRST TRI-PARTITE SEMINAR EVER HELD IN HONG KONG FOR THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY WAS SIGNIFICANT IN THAT IT NOT ONLY OFFERED A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE IN THE TRADE FOR OPEN DISCUSSION AND EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ON MATTERS RELATING TO SAFETY, BUT ALSO SHOWED THE WHOLE-HEARTED SUPPORT OF ALL CONCERNED FOR THE PROMOTION OF VOLUNTARY SAFETY MOVEMENT IN INDUSTRY.

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS, MR WONG CONTINUED, A TOTAL OF 1 578 ACCIDENTS WAS RECORDED IN 1982, COMPARED WITH 1 482 IN 1981, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 6.5 PER CENT.

HE TOLD THE SEMINAR THAT THESE FIGURES WERE BY NO MEANS ENCOURAGING, PARTICULARLY WHEN MACHINES WITHOUT GUARDS MIGHT CAUSE SERIOUS OR FATAL INJURIES TO WORKERS.

+THIS SHOWS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE STILL CONTINUE TO ATTACH LITTLE IMPORTANCE TO SAFE WORKING PRACTICES AND GOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT AT WORKPLACES. CLEARLY MUCH MORE HAS TO BE DONE IN THIS RESPECT, HE NOTED.

+ IF THE NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS IS TO BE REDUCED, IT WILL REQUIRE THE JOINT EFFORTS AMONG THE GOVERNMENT, EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS, HE SAID.

APPEALING TO PARTICIPANTS TO HELP SPREAD THE SAFETY MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY, MR WONG SAID: +FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TO BE READILY ACCEPTED AS A WAY OF LIFE, IT IS NECESSARY FIRST AND FOREMOST, TO INSTILL IN THE MINDS OF THE PUBLIC AT LARGE THE RIGHT KIND OF ATTITUDE TOWARDS SAFETY.+

AT THE ONE-DAY SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY SAFETY SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD, THE PARTICIPANTS HEARD SPECIALIST TALKS GIVEN BY SAFETY PROFESSIONALS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICERS AND SAW A FILM RECENTLY PRODUCED ON THE SUBJECT OF FIRE HAZARDS IN FACTORIES.

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