XN000022-1986-10-29 — Page 44

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1986

ON PREVENTING FIRE IN FACTORIES, MR BRIDGE SAID IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN A HIGH PRIORITY OF BOTH THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE AND THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS (FIRE PRECAUTIONS IN NOTIFIABLE WORKPLACES) REGULATIONS ALREADY REQUIRED PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES TO BE TAKEN WHERE FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES WERE IN USE.

DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS MORE THAN 2 500 SUMMONSES HAD BEEN TAKEN OUT FOR FIRE-RELATED OFFENCES AND FINES TOTALLING MORE THAN $3 MILLION HAD BEEN IMPOSED, HE SAID.

+WE ALSO INTEND TO ADOPT APPROPRIATE MEASURES FOR OTHER DANGEROUS CHEMICALS,+ HE SAID.

+1 SHALL, FOR EXAMPLE, BE INTRODUCING A MOTION NEXT MONTH SEEKING APPROVAL OF NEW REGULATIONS BANNING OR CONTROLLING THE USE OF VARIOUS CARCINOGENS AND WE ARE NOW DRAFTING A SET OF REGULATIONS TO ENSURE THAT HARMFUL SUBSTANCES ARE PROPERLY LABELLED AND THAT LABELS INCLUDE ESSENTIAL SAFETY INFORMATION,+ HE ADDED.

IN THE MEANTIME A CODE OF PRACTICE WOULD BE ISSUED TO FACTORY PROPRIETORS SHORTLY.

MR BRIDGE ALSO SAID ACTION WAS IN HAND TO INCREASE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE FROM ITS PRESENT FIGURE OF 198.

EIGHT POSTS WERE ABOUT TO BE CREATED AND PROVISION WAS BEING SOUGHT FOR FURTHER POSTS IN THE 1987-88 ESTIMATES.

HOWEVER, HE STRESSED THAT INSPECTION ALONE COULD NOT ELIMINATE ACCIDENTS.

HE NOTED THAT THE KWAI CHUNG FACTORY HAD BEEN INSPECTED BY THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE ON THREE OCCASIONS OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS, THE LAST BEING ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ON EACH OF THESE THREE OCCASIONS THE CONDITIONS FOUND BY THE INSPECTORS WERE DIFFERENT.

+ UNFORTUNATELY, IT WILL NEVER BE PRACTICABLE TO MAINTAIN A PERMANENT PRESENCE IN EVERY FACTORY AND THE ONUS MUST ULTIMATELY BE ON THE FACTORY MANAGEMENT AND THE WORKERS THEMSELVES TO ENSURE THAT A SAFE SYSTEM OF WORK IS MAINTAINED, HE SAID.

+THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE HAVE HOWEVER VISITED EVERY FUR PROCESSING AND COMPARABLE FACTORY IN HONG KONG ABOUT 350 IN ALL SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THE FIRE TO DO WHAT THEY CAN TO PREVENT A SIMILAR FIRE RECURRING.

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/+THEY IN