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MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1986
THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT THE SEVEN FACTORIES WERE AMONG THE 352 UNDERTAKINGS ENGAGED IN FUR PROCESSING AND RELATED WORK WHICH HAD BEEN INSPECTED BY THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE SINCE THE TRAGIC EXPLOSION AT A KWAI CHUNG FACTORY ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO.
+DURING THE INITIAL INSPECTIONS, THREE OF THE SEVEN FACTORIES IN QUESTION WERE FOUND USING INFLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES WHICH ARE SPECIFIED IN CATEGORY 5 OF THE SCHEDULE TO THE DANGEROUS GOODS (CLASSIFICATION) REGULATIONS,+ HE SAID.
+HOWEVER, FOLLOW-UP INSPECTIONS REVEALED THAT THEY HAD ALREADY GIVEN UP USING THE INFLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES IN THEIR INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES.
+AS FOR THE OTHER FOUR FACTORIES, THE SUBSTANCES USED FOR DEGREASING HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE GOVERNMENT CHEMIST FOR ANALYSIS.+
OF THE 352 FACTORIES INSPECTED RECENTLY, 24 (INCLUDING THE SEVEN MENTIONED ABOVE) WERE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN FUR PROCESSING, ABOUT 30 IN SKIN TANNING, 100 IN LEATHER APPAREL MANUFACTURING AND 200 IN FUR COAT PRODUCTION.
ALTHOUGH NO SERIOUS IRREGULARITIES WERE FOUND IN THESE FACTORIES, THEY WILL BE KEPT UNDER CLOSE SURVEILLANCE BY THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE.
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THERE ARE AT PRESENT ADEQUATE PROVISIONS IN THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS ORDINANCE TO GOVERN THE USE OF DANGEROUS CHEMICALS.
CITING EXAMPLES, HE SAID PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES ARE LAID DOWN IN VARIOUS SUBSIDIARY REGULATIONS OF THE ORDINANCE TO PREVENT THE OUTBREAK OF FIRE PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND SUITABLE VENTILATION SYSTEM IN WORKPLACES; CONTROL ELECTROLYTIC CHROMIUM PROCESS, SPRAYING OF FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS, AND THE USE OF MANGANESE DIOXIDE IN DRY BATTERIES MANUFACTURING.
IN ADDITION, A FURTHER SET OF REGULATIONS, REQUIRING THE CLASSIFICATIONS AND LABELLING OF HARMFUL SUBSTANCES COMMONLY USED IN INDUSTRY, IS BEING DRAFTED.
+WHILE THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WOULD DO EVERYTHING TO PREVENT THE OCCURRENCE OF ACCIDENTS THROUGH LEGISLATION AND ENFORCEMENT ACTION, SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE HAS TO DEPEND ULTIMATELY ON THE WILLINGNESS OF EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES TO ADOPT AND OBSERVE GOOD SAFETY PRACTICES AT ALL TIMES,+ SAID THE SPOKESMAN.
+IT IS THROUGH THIS TRIPARTITE PARTICIPATION THAT INDUSTRIAL SAFETY ACTIVITIES WILL BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE, THUS REDUCING THE NUMBER OF SERIOUS INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS.+
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