XN000022-1986-09-03 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1986

SAFETY COUNCIL PROPOSAL UNDER STUDY

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THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT IS STUDYING A PROPOSAL TO SET UP A STATUTORY BODY TO PROMOTE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY, THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR DARWIN CHEN, SAID THIS (WEDNESDAY) EVENING,

IT IS HOPED, HE ADDED, THAT A COUNCIL FOR THIS PURPOSE WILL BE FORMED ONCE THE PROBLEM OF FINANCE IS RESOLVED.

SPEAKING AT A DINNER MEETING OF THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE OF ASIAN-PACIFIC NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCILS WHICH IS CURRENTLY HOLDING A THREE-DAY CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG, MR CHEN NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH HONG KONG DID NOT HAVE A STATUTORY SAFETY COUNCIL, IT DID HAVE A STRONG TRIPARTITE MOVEMENT TO PROMOTE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.

+THIS MOVEMENT IS LED BY THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION (CISAP) AND ITS SIX INDUSTRY-BASED SAFETY SUB-COMMITTEES,+ HE SAID.

THE CISAP IS COMPOSED OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYERS' AND WORKERS' ORGANISATIONS AS WELL AS THOSE OF ACADEMIĆ AND PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

AND THE SIX SUB-COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN FORMED TO PROMOTE SAFETY IN THE CONSTRUCTION, TEXTILES, PLASTICS, ELECTRONICS, METAL SHIPBUILDING AND SHIPREPAIRING INDUSTRIES.

+BOTH THE MAIN COMMITTEE AND THE SUB-COMMITTEES ARE CLOSELY INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY PROMOTION CAMPAIGN WHICH MAKES EXTENSIVE USE OF THE MASS MEDIA SUCH AS TELEVISION, RADIO AND NEWSPAPERS, AS WELL AS POPULAR VENUES FOR EXHIBITIONS AND SEMINARS, + MR CHEN SAID.

+ IT IS INTENDED THAT THE COMMITTEE WILL EVOLVE INTO A STATUTORY BODY WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROMOTING OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH.+

MR CHEN SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THIS TRIPARTITE APPROACH WAS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF IMPROVING SAFETY AT WORK AS EXPERIENCE SHOWED THAT LEGISLATION ALONE COULD NOT FULLY ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVE OF A HIGH STANDARD OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH,

SELF-REGULATION BY BOTH EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES IS ESSENTIAL

IF THE OBJECTIVE IS TO BE FULLY REALISED.

IN THIS RESPECT, HE ADDED, SAFETY PROFESSIONALS WOULD PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE BY ADVISING THOSE CONCERNED AND HELPING TO RAISE SAFETY STANDARDS, KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES AND TRADES.

/MR CHEN