XN000022-1984-01-30 — Page 6

NOTE TO EDITORS I

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 1984

FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE PRESS CONFERENCE

***

A PRESS CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT 3 PM TOMORROW (TUESDAY) ON THE RE-CONSTITUTED FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE'S FIRST REPORT, COVERING ITS WORK FROM MAY TO OCTOBER 1983.

THE PRESS CONFERENCE WILL BE CHAIRED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, IN HIS CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN OF THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE. ALSO PRESENT WILL BE MR MICHAEL THOMAS, ATTORNEY GENERAL, WHO IS DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF FCC, MR DAVID JEAFFRESON, SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ROY HENRY, COMMISSIONER OF POLICE AND DR. HO KAM-FAI, UNOFFICIAL MEMBER.

YOUR REPRESENTATIVES ARE INVITED TO COVER THE PRESS CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT GIS CONFERENCE ROOM, BEACONSF IELD HOUSE, 5TH FLOOR. THEY ARE REQUESTED TO ARRIVE NO LATER THAN 2.45 PM WHEN A BRIEF ON MATTERS COVERED BY THE FCC REPORT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED FOR STUDY.

TV REPRESENTATIVES ARE URGED TO ARRIVE EARLY TO ALLOW AMPLE TIME TO SET UP THEIR EQUIPMENT.

NEW WORK SITE SAFETY LAW EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY

****

EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ARE REMINDED THAT THE CONSTRUCTION SITES (SAFETY) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1983 WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON WEDNESDAY (FEBRUARY 1).

A LABOUR DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THESE AMENDED REGULATIONS WERE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE MORE ADEQUATE PROTECTION FOR WORKERS WORKING AT HEIGHT AND WERE APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN JULY LAST YEAR.

THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WAS STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS, HE SAID.

PROVISIONAL FIGURES SHOWED THERE WERE 42 783 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, INCLUDING 86 FATALITIES, LAST YEAR. OF THESE, 16 909 ACCIDENTS, INCLUDING 58 FATALITIES WERE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, WHILE ACCIDENTS UNDER THE HEAD, FALL OF PERSONS+ ACCOUNTED FOR 2 774, INCLUDING 20 FATALITIES, HE SAID.

THE MAIN PURPOSES OF THE AMENDED REGULATIONS ARE TO IMPOSE SPECIFIC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES.

UNDER THE NEW REGULATIONS, THERE MUST BE SAFE ACCESS TO AND EXIT FROM EVERY WORKPLACE AND SUITABLE SCAFFOLDS OR LADDERS FOR WORKING AT HEIGHT.

/ANOTHER REQUIREMENT