XN000022-1983-12-06 — Page 3

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1983

JOINT EFFORT HELPS LESSEN CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS

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LESS WORKERS WERE KILLED OR INJURED IN ACCIDENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THIS YEAR. COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR CHAN NAI-KEONG, DISCLOSED TODAY (TUESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE PRIZE PRESENTATION CEREMONY OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY SAFETY AWARD SCHEME AT THE CLUB, MR CHAN POINTED OUT THAT IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THIS YEAR, THERE WERE 12 118 ACCIDENTS, INCLUDING 46 FATAL CASES, IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, REPRESENTING A DROP OF 10 PER CENT ÎN INJURY CASES AND 19 PER CENT IN FATAL CASES, COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING FIGURES LAST YEAR.

+THIS IMPROVEMENT IS WITHOUT DOUBT THE RESULT OF THE CONCERTED EFFORTS OF THE THREE PARTIES DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, NAMELY THE GOVERNMENT, EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS, TO CONTAIN THE SPATE OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, HE SAID.

CAUTIONING AGAINST SELF-COMPLACENCY, MR CHAN SAID THAT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WAS STILL THE MOST HAZARDOUS INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG AND CONTINUED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS IN ANY SINGLE INDUSTRY.

THE PREVENTION OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, HE ADDED, WAS A MATTER IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT, EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS ALL HAD AN IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY.

THE GOVERNMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENACTING AND ENFORCING SAFETY LEGISLATION AS WELL AS PROPAGATING, THROUGH EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY MEANS, THE IMPORTANT MESSAGE OF SAFETY AT WORK.

THE EMPLOYERS' ROLE WAS TO PROVIDE A SAFE WORK ING ENVIRONMENT WHILE THAT OF THE WORKERS WAS TO OBSERVE AND FOLLOW SAFETY REGULATIONS.

THE ESSENCE OF SAFETY PROMOTION LAY IN THE VOLUNTARINESS ON THE PART OF ALL THE PARTIES CONCERNED TO CO-OPERATE AND ACT IN GOOD FAITH. IN THIS CONNECTION, THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY SAFETY SUB- COMMITTEE, WHICH COMPRISED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE THREE PARTIES, WAS DOING AN ENVIABLE JOB IN PROMOTING THIS VOLUNTARY SAFETY MOVEMENT.

APART FROM TWO RECENTLY-HELD SAFETY SEMINARS, MR CHAN CONTINUED, THE SAFETY AWARD SCHEME WAS YET ANOTHER PROJECT ORGANISED BY THE SUB-COMMITTEE WITH A VIEW TO DISSEMINATING THE SAFETY MESSAGE TO THE INDUSTRY AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE.

+ I THINK THE SCHEME HAS FULLY ACHIEVED ITS PURPOSE. I AM CONFIDENT THAT THROUGH THE BEST EFFORTS OF ALL CONCERNED, SUFFICIENT IMPETUS WILL BE GENERATED WHICH IN TIME WILL HELP TO MAKE THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY A SAFE INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG, HE CONCLUDED.

/THE SCHE'R