XN000022-1994-02-01 — Page 9

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1994

"DESPITE THE IMPROVING TREND, THE ABOVE ACP ACCIDENT RATES ARE STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

"THEY ARE STILL HIGHER THAN OUR TARGETS, AND IT IS CLEAR THAT THE VERY STRINGENT TARGETS THAT WE HAVE SET FOR ACP WILL ONLY BE ACHIEVED IF EVERYBODY INVOLVED INCREASES THEIR SAFETY ENDEAVOURS STILL FURTHER," MR BLAKE ADDED.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS FURTHER STRENGTHENING SOME EXISTING MEASURES.

FOR INSTANCE:

OF ITS

*

ENGINEERS WILL EXERCISE CONTRACTUAL POWER TO SUSPEND WORKS THAT ARE NOT BEING CARRIED OUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH CONTRACTORS' APPROVED SAFE MANNER OF WORKING.

ANY THE

*

IN

THE MAXIMUM FINE FOR VIOLATING CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS ORDINANCE HAS BEEN INCREASED TO $200,000.

ADDITION, MR BLAKE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS ALSO TAKING A SERIES OF OTHER ACTIONS TO PROMULGATE SAFETY AS THE CULTURE OF EVERYONE ON SITES. FOR INSTANCE:

POCKET-SIZED SAFETY HINT CARDS ARE BRING PRODUCED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO WORKERS AND SUPERVISORY STAFF, TO REMIND THEM AT ALL TIMES OF THE NEED FOR SAFETY AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE.

MARINE DEPARTMENT IS CONDUCTING COURSES TO EDUCATE WORKERS ON SAFETY ON MARINE VESSELS.

SAFETY CONSULTANTS ARE BEING SELECTED TO PROVIDE SAFETY TRAINING TO MANAGEMENT AND SITE SUPERVISORY STAFF TO UPGRADE THEIR SAFETY EXPERTISE.

THE WORKS BRANCH SAFETY CO-ORDINATOR AND SAFETY UNITS IN THE WORKS DEPARTMENTS WILL PROVIDE SAFETY ADVICE AND CARRY OUT SAFETY AUDITS OF WORK IN PROGRESS.

MORE

SOON

STRINGENT REGULATORY ACTION WILL BE INTRODUCED FAIRLY AGAINST CONTRACTORS WHO VIOLATE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS; THEY WILL BE SUSPENDED FROM TENDERING, DOWNGRADED OR EVEN REMOVED FROM THE LISTS OF APPROVED CONTRACTORS

APPROPRIATE.

AS

MR BLAKE POINTED OUT THAT ALTHOUGH THE OVERALL ACP ACCIDENT RATES WERE STILL HIGHER THAN THE ACP SAFETY TARGETS, IT WAS PLEASING TO NOTE THAT ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE ACP CONTRACTS HAD IN FACT ACHIEVED THE ACP SAFETY TARGETS OF ZERO FATALITIES AND LESS THAN 60 REPORTABLE ACCIDENTS PER THOUSAND WORKERS A YEAR.

"THESE CONTRACTORS PROVE TO ALL OF US THAT THE ACP SAFETY TARGETS, ALTHOUGH MUCH MORE STRINGENT THAN THE NORM IN HONG KONG, CAN BE ACHIEVED GIVEN ADEQUATE PRIORITY AND THE EFFORTS OF ALL CONCERNED, HE STRESSED.

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ALSO ADDRESSING