XN000022-1983-12-08 — Page 13

H

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1983

12

MORE CARE COULD PREVENT INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS

****

INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS WERE COSTLY NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF LARGE MONETARY COMPENSATIONS, DAMAGED MACHINERY AND DISRUPTIONS TO PRODUCTION, BUT MOST REMORSEFUL OF ALL, THE LOSS OF HUMAN LIVES, MR WONG LAM, A LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

MR WONG WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY SEMINAR FOR EMPLOYEES IN HONG KONG ORGANISED BY THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION.

HE SAID THAT INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS WERE UNNECESSARY BECAUSE MOST OF THEN COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED WITH MORE CARE AND PATIENCE AND THE UNDERTAKING OF SIMPLE PREVENTIVE MEASURES.

+THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 30 678 ACCIDENTS IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF 1983, INCLUDING 67 FATALITIES, REPRESENTING A DROP OF SIX PER CENT IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS AND A FALL OF 16 PER CENT IN FATAL CASES OVER THE SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR.

+THIS IMPROVEMENT IS WITHOUT DOUBT THE RESULT OF THE JOINT EFFORTS OF THE GOVERNMENT, THE EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS TO PROMOTE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, MR WONG POINTED OUT.

HE ALSO TOLD THE PARTICIPANTS THAT THEY SHOULD, APART FROM LISTENING TO GUEST SPEAKERS, EXPRESS THEMSELVES AND EXCHANGE VIEWS DURING THE DISCUSSION SESSIONS.

THE ONE-DAY SEMINAR, AN ANNUAL EVENT IN ITS FOURTH YEAR ATTRACTED 300 SUPERVISORS AND FOREMEN IN THE INDUSTRIAL CONCERN.

SAFETY PROFESSIONALS, ACADEMICS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WERE AMONG THE GUEST SPEAKERS AT THE SEMINAR.

THEY INCLUDED: MR CHAN TAT-KING, DEPUTY CHIEF FACTORY INSPECTOR DR CNAN KAI-MING, LECTURER, DEPARTMENT OF ORTHOPAEDIC AND TRAUMATIC SURGERY, CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG DR MA PO-LING, SENIOR OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH OFFICER; MR LAM TAI-HING, LECTURER, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE, THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONGI MR LAN YUK-KEUNG, LABOUR OFFICER AND MR DOMINIC LAI OF TAIKOO ROYAL INSURANCE CO. LTD.

I

/13