XN000022-1991-07-02 — Page 6

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TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1991

SLIGHT DROP IN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS

THERE IS A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR.

THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT 11 FATALITIES WERE

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY TODAY (TUESDAY), 8,709 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS WITH REPORTED BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH,

"THIS REPRESENTS AN OVERALL DROP OF 0.8 PER CENT FROM THE 8,783 ACCIDENTS WITH 12 FATALITIES RECORDED DURING THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR," CHIEF FACTORY INSPECTOR YIP YUK-LUN SAID.

MR YIP SAID THE DECREASE WAS MAINLY IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, DOWN FROM 3,827 ACCIDENTS TO 3,567.

"THE GREATEST DECREASE WAS IN THE TEXTILES INDUSTRY, DOWN FROM 737 TO 479 ACCIDENTS, FOLLOWED BY THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY FROM 190 TO 135 AND THE PLASTIC INDUSTRY FROM 226 TO 173, MR YIP SAID.

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HOWEVER, MR YIP CAUTIONED THAT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CONTINUED TO RECORD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS DURING THE PERIOD.

"WITH AN INCREASE FROM 4,109 TO 4,143 ACCIDENTS, THE INDUSTRY ALONE ACCOUNTED FOR 10 OF THE 11 FATALITIES IN ALL INDUSTRIES," HE NOTED.

KILLED IN FALLS ONE BY FALLING

"THESE INCLUDED THREE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS FROM HEIGHT, TWO BY MACHINERY, ONE BY TRANSPORT, OBJECTS, ONE BY ELECTRICITY, ONE BY COLLAPSED SOIL, AND ONE AS A RESULT OF STEPPING OR STRIKING AGAINST OBJECTS, HE SAID.

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MR YIP ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE SITUATION IN THE MINING AND QUARRYING, UTILITIES, TRANSPORT AND SERVICING INDUSTRIES, WHICH REGISTERED A 17.9 PER CENT INCREASE FROM 847 TO 999 ACCIDENTS.

ON THE MAJOR CAUSES OF THE INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, HE SAID THEY WERE GENERALLY SIMILAR TO THOSE IN PREVIOUS YEARS.

OBJECTS (2,848

"THEY INCLUDED STEPPING ON OR STRIKING AGAINST CASES), MANUAL LIFTING OF WEIGHTS (1,581 (ASES), USE OF MACHINERY (1,268 CASES), FALL OF PERSONS (1,095 CASES), FALLING OBJECTS (585 CASES) AND USE OF HAND TOOLS (531 CASES).

"THE OTHERS RELATED TO TRANSPORT, EXPLOSION OR FIRE. HOT OR CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES, ELECTRICITY, GAS POISONING AND OTHER TOXIC SUBSTANCES, AND COLLAPSED SOIL," HE ADDED.

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TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS, MR VIP SAID PROPRIETORS AND WORKERS SHOULD JOIN HAND AND MAKE A BIGGER EFFORT IN ENSURING SAFETY AT WORK.

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