XN000022-1986-11-19 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1986

THERE WERE PROBLEMS OF DEFINITION, BUT FROM NEXT YEAR SERIOUS ACCIDENTS DEFINED BY REFERENCE TO LENGTH OF ABSENCE FROM WORK OR DEGREE OF INCAPACITY SUFFERED WOULD BE SEPARATELY RECORDED.

MR BRIDGE SAID THAT OVER THE PAST TWO OR THREE YEARS THERE HAD BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE REPORTING, OF ACCIDENTS WHICH HITHERTO WENT UNREPORTED.

THE REASONS WERE, FIRSTLY, A SIMPLIFICATION IN 1983 OF THE PROCEDURE FOR CLAIMING COMPENSATION IN RESPECT OF MINOR ACCIDENTS AND, SECONDLY, THE INTRODUCTION IN 1984 OF COMPULSORY COMPENSATION INSURANCE.

+TAKING THESE FACTORS INTO ACCOUNT, THE MARKED DECLINE IN FATAL ACCIDENTS OVER THE PERIOD 1981 TO 1985 AND THE FACT THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO APPRECIABLE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS INVOLVING PERMANENT DISABILITY PERHAPS PROVIDE, I BELIEVE, A BETTER INDICATOR OF THE REAL OVERALL TREND, + MR BRIDGE SAID.

REFERRING TO SOME MEMBERS' COMMENTS ON INADEQUACY OF PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY REGULATIONS, MR BRIDGE POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS A MATTER FOR THE JUDICIARY TO DECIDE WHAT LEVEL OF FINE WAS APPROPRIATE IN A PARTICULAR CASE.

+WHILE THE AVERAGE FINE IN ALL TYPES OF PROSECUTION HAS INCREASED IN RECENT YEARS FROM $1 290 IN 1981 TO $2 871 LAST YEAR, IT REMAINS VERY LOW IN RELATION TO THE MAXIMUM PENALTIES PROVIDE D FOR IN THE LAW IN 1985, + HE SAID.

+1 APPRECIATE THAT A MAGISTRATE MUST TAKE MANY DIFFERENT FACTORS INTO ACCOUNT IN ASSESSING PENALTIES, BUT FROM MY LIMITED VIEWPOINT AS AN OFFICIAL RESPONSIBLE FOR INDUSTRIAL SAFETY I DO FEEL THAT THE PRESENT AVERAGE PENALTIES ARE NOT REALLY ADEQUATE TO DETER DANGEROUS PRACTICES.

+HEAVIER FINES WOULD, I BELIEVE, MAKE EMPLOYERS TAKE SAFETY MUCH MORE SERIOUSLY. UNLESS THERE IS A WILLINGNESS TO IMPOSE SUCH FINES, THERE WOULD BE LITTLE POINT IN INCREASING FURTHER THE MAXIMUM FINES ALREADY PROVIDED FOR.+

ON SUGGESTIONS THE NUMBER OF FACTORY INSPECTORS BE INCREASED, MR BRIDGE NOTED THAT THE NUMBER HAD INCREASED FROM 120 IN 1977 TO 205 NOW. THIS INCLUDED SIX POSTS CREATED SINCE OCTOBER 29.

A FURTHER THREE POSTS WERE TO BE CREATED SHORTLY AND MORE WOULD BE CREATED NEXT YEAR.

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