XN000022-1989-11-25 — Page 6

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1989

ONE FINAL WAY IN WHICH THE EPD COULD REDUCE THE FUTURE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF, DE REED SAID. WAS BY PLACING MUCH MORE OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR POLLUTION CONTROL ON THE PEOPLE WHO WERE CAUSING THE FOLLUTION.

THE

"WE IN EPD ARE ALWAYS BEING PRESSED TO PROVIDE MORE AND MORE DETAILED ADVICE ON POLLUTION CONTROL TO THOSE WHO ARE CREATING PROBLEM.

AND

"PROV}DING THIS ADVICE OCCUPIES MUCH SPECIALIST STAFF TIME J FEEL A CHANGE OF APPROACH IS NEEDED. WE SHOULD EXPECT INDUSTRIALISTS TO PUT THEIR OWN HOUSE IN ORDER. IF NECESSARY PAYING SOMEONE TO HELP THEM TO DO IT." HE SAID.

IF WE THINK MORE ALONG THE SORT OF POSITIVE LINES [ HAVE INDICATED, RATHER THAN REMOANING THE FACT THAT WE HAVE INSUFFICIENT STAFF TO CARRY FORWARD OUR PROGRAMMES, THEN I FEEL WE STAND A GOOD CHANCE OF MEETING THE COMMITMENTS IN THE WHITE PAPER AND OF MAKING HONG KONG A MORE HEALTHY AND MORE PLEASANT PLACE IN WHICH DR REED ADDED.

ΤΟ

LIVE,

0

DECLINE IN NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS

THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THE UPWARD TREND IN INDUSTRIAL IN RECENT YEARS IS BEING CHECKED IN MOST TRADES.

ACCIDENTS

INVOLVING 69

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT TODAY (SATURDAY), 32,513 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS. FATALITIES. WERE REPORTED IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THIS YEAR, REPRESENTING A DROP OF THREE PER CENT FROM THE 33,396 ACCIDENTS, AND 62 FATALITIES, RECORDED IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR,

THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WAS DOWN BY FIVE PER CENT TO 14,637 AND 11 FATALITIES, WHILE THE MINING, QUARRYING. UTILITIES. TRANSPORT AND SERVICING INDUSTRIES REPORTED 3,190 ACCIDENTS AND 10 DEATHS. A DECREASE OF THREF PER CENT.

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DECREASE WAS IN THE ELECTRONICS AND PLASTICS INDUSTRIES. WHERE THE NUMBERS OF ACCIDENTS FELL BY 23 PER CENT FROM 899 AND 1.248 TO 693 AND 967 RESPECTIVELY.

HOWEVER. THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. WHICH ALONE ACCOUNTED FOR 14.685 ACCIDENTS AND 18 FATALITIES, REGISTERED AN INCREASE OF 0.2 PER CENT OVER THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF LAST YEAR.

THERE WAS ALSO A SLIGHT INCREASE IN ACCIDENTS IN BOTH THE TEXTILES AND WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRIES DURING THE PERIOD. FROM 2,730 CASES TO 2.895 AND FROM 2.162 CASES TO 2.256.

/THE MAJOR

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