XN000022-1986-11-19 — Page 22

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER, 19, 1986

+AS REGARDS THE INITIAL AND OPERATIONAL EXPENSES OF THE COUNCIL, THE LARGER PART SHOULD BE SUBSIDISED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SAME WAY AS THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL WHILE THE REMAINING PART SHOULD COME FROM A TAX LEVIED ON EACH REPORTED CASE UNDER THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE AND FROM FEES FOR SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE COUNCIL,+ HE SAID.

NOTING THAT SAFETY WAS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, MR NGAI SAID THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED WITHOUT DELAY IN ORDER TO FACILITATE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND TO KEEP UP WITH INDUSTRIAL DIVERSIFICATION AND MODERNISATION.

+WE CANNOT ALLOW ANY INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT IN WHICH 10 OR MORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED OR INJURED EVER TO OCCUR AGAIN, HE STRESSED.

MR NGAI SAID THAT TO LAUNCH A SUCCESSFUL INDUSTRIAL SAFETY CAMPAIGN, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO MAKE EVERYONE INVOLVED IN AN INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKING REALISE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CAMPAIGN AND TO GET THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN IT.

HE CONSIDERED THAT THE CAMPAIGN SHOULD BE ON GOING AND LONG TERM AS THERE WERE ALWAYS HIGHER AND DIFFERENT GOALS TO ACHIEVE.

POINTING OUT THAT OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH WERE THE JOINT RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOVERNMENT, THE EMPLOYER AND THE EMPLOYEE, MR NGAI SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD IN RECENT YEARS TAKEN AN ACTIVE AND PROGRESSIVE ROLE IN ENACTING AND IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION CONCERNING OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH,

HOWEVER, HE STRESSED THAT THE ENACTMENT AND AMENDMENT OF ANY RELEVANT LEGISLATION SHOULD ONLY BE IMPLEMENTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PRACTICAL STANDARDS AND AFTER WIDE CONSULTATION.

+MORE IMPORTANT, THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND PENALTIES APPLICABLE TO BOTH THE EMPLOYER AND THE EMPLOYEE MUST BE CLEARLY DEFINED, OTHERWISE IT WILL MERELY CREATE MORE FINANCIAL BURDENS ON THE ADMINISTRATION WITHOUT ACHIEVING ITS PURPOSE,+ MR NGAI SAID.

ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, MR NGA NOTED THAT ALL TRAINING COURSES AND SEMINARS AT PRESENT WERE ORGANISED ONLY FOR MID-LEVEL MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL.

HE SAID THAT HIGHER DIPLOMA OR DEGREE COURSES IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY SHOULD BE ORGANISED FOR HIGH-LEVEL MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND PROFESSIONAL STATUS. THIS COULD FACILITATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SAFETY MEASURES IN INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS IN A PROFESSIONAL WAY.

/ON THE