XN000022-1990-12-05 — Page 19

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HOWEVER, MR YIP SAID ACCIDENTS CONTINUED TO TAKE A HEAVY TOLL IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY DURING THE PERIOD, WHICH ROSE BY THREE PER CENT TO 15,091 CASES.

"THE INDUSTRY ALSO ACCOUNTED FOR 43 OF THE 55 ALL INDUSTRIES," HE ADDED.

FATAL CASES IN

THEY INCLUDED 21 WORKERS KILLED IN FALLS FROM HEIGHTS, EIGHT BY MACHINERY, SEVEN BY FALLING OBJECTS, THREE BY ELECTRICITY, TWO BY GASES OR TOXIC SUBSTANCES, ONE BY COLLAPSED SOIL AND ONE AS A RESULT OF STEPPING ON OR STRIKING AGAINST OBJECTS.

FATALITIES IN OTHER INDUSTRIES RELATED TO MACHINERY (FIVE CASES), ELECTRICITY (TWO CASES), TRANSPORT (TWO CASES), FALL OF PERSON (ONE CASE), HOT OR CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES (ONE CASE) AND GAS POISONING OR TOXIC SUBSTANCES (ONE CASE).

MR YIP NOTED THAT THE MAJOR CAUSES OF THE INDUSTRIAL WERE INVARIABLY SIMILAR TO THOSE IN PREVIOUS YEARS.

ACCIDENTS

"THEY WERE CAUSED BY STEPPING ON OR STRIKING AGAINST ОВЈЕСТЯ (10,052 CASES), MANUAL LIFTING OF WEIGHTS (5,503 CASES), MACHINERY (4,838 CASES), FALL OF PERSONS (3,443 CASES), HAND TOOLS (2,040 CASES) AND FALLING OBJECTS (1,850 CASES)," HE SAID.

"OTHERS WERE DUE TO HOT OR CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES, TRANSPORT, EXPLOSION OR FIRE, ELECTRICITY, GAS POISONING OR TOXIC SUBSTANCES, COLLAPSE OF SOIL AND SO ON," HE ADDED.

MR YIP APPEALED TO INDUSTRIAL PROPRIETORS AND WORKERS ΤΟ MAKE THE GREATEST EFFORT IN ENSURING THE SAFETY OF THE WORKPLACE.

"ALMOST ALL OF THESE TRAGIC ACCIDENTS COULD IN FACT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD ALL PARTIES CONCERNED TAKEN THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES, HE STRESSED.

SWD CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION ON TRAICES CASES

* * * *

A SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY (WEDNESDAY) REITERATED THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO DEAL WITH THE 8,000 TRAFFIC RECORD AND IMMIGRATION CONTROL ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM (TRAICES) CASES, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN DEALT WITH BECAUSE OF THE INDUSTRIAL ACTION BY THE WELFARE ASSISTANTS GRADE STAFF IN THE DEPARTMENT.

AT A MEETING WITH THE MANAGEMENT YESTERDAY, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE WELFARE ASSISTANTS BRANCH OF THE HONG KONG CHINESE CIVIL SERVANTS' ASSOCIATION WERE TOLD THAT THE DEPARTMENT MUST TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION ON THESE CASES, AS MANY OF THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE RECIPIENTS ARE AWAY FROM HONG KONG, SOME OF WHOM FOR GOOD.

STILL

/THESE PEOPLE