XN000022-1991-11-26 — Page 8

7.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1991

ACCIDENTS AT WORK DROPPED

THERE WERE FEWER INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THIS YEAR COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

ACCORDING то STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT TODAY (TUESDAY), 30,323 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS WITH 60 FATALITIES WERE RECORDED FROM JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR, REPRESENTING A DROP OF 2.9 PER CENT FROM THE 31,244 ACCIDENTS WITH 55 FATALITIES IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

"THE DECREASE IS INDEED ENCOURAGING, THE DEPARTMENT'S CHIEF FACTORY INSPECTOR, MR YIP YUK-LUN SAID, NOTING THAT THE NUMBERS OF ACCIDENTS IN BOTH THE MANUFACTURING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES WERE DOWN BY 6.3 PER CENT AND 2.1 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

TOGETHER AIXORDED PLASTICS,

IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, WHICH 12,206 ACCIDENTS, THE GREATEST DECREASF WERE IN THE ELECTRONICS, TEXTILE AND WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRIES.

THEIR FIGURES HAVE DROPPED RESPECTIVELY FROM 873 TO TO 441, 2,522 TO 2,061 AND 1,872 TO 1,530 DURING THE PERIOD.

ALTHOUGH THE SITUATION HAS SLIGHTLY IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, MR YIP SAID IT REMAINED "THE MOST TRADE IN HONG KONG.

THE

607,

592

IN THE DANGEROUS"

+

CONSTRUCTION

"WITH 14,722 ACCIDENTS AND 44 FATALITIES, INDUSTRY STILL ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT HALF OF ALL. THE WORK ACCIDENTS, HE SAID.

IN

MEANWHILE, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS. THE MINING AND QUARRYING, UTILITIES, TRANSPORT AND SERVICING INDUSTRIES, UP BY 8.7 PER CENT TO 3,395 ACCIDENTS, WHILE THE FIGURE FOR THE SHIPBUILDING AND REPAIRING INDUSTRY ALSO ROSE FROM 573 TO 597.

THE MAJOR CAUSES OF THE ACCIDENTS WERE GENERALLY SIMILAR ΤΟ THOSE IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS.

THEY INCLUDED STEPPING ON OR STRIKING AGAINST OBJECTS (11.636 CASES), MANUAL LIFTING OF WEIGHTS (5,085 CASES), USE OF MACHINERY (3,861 CASES), FALL OF PERSONS (3,498 CASES), FALLING OBJECTS (1,684 CASES), USE OF HAND TOOLS (1,640 CASES), HOT OR CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES (899 CASES), AND TRANSPORT (644 CASES).

ELECTRICITY,

THE OTHERS WERE RELATED ΤΟ EXPLOSION OR FIRE, GASSING, POISONING AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND COLLAPSE OF SOIL.

OF THE 60 WORKERS KILLED, 44 WERE EMPLOYED IN THE

INDUSTRY.

CONSTRUCTION

MACHINERY,

THEY INCLUDED 25 KILLED IN FALL FROM HEIGHT, SIX BY FIVE BY FALLING OBJECTS, TWO BY TRANSPORT, TWO ELECTROCUTED, TWO AS A RESULT OF STEPPING ON OR BEING STRUCK BY OBJECTS, ONE IN AND ONE BY COLLAPSED SOLL.

EXPLOSION,

/DEATHS IN