XN000022-1994-06-02 — Page 9

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1994

WHERE NECESSARY, SUMMER STUDENTS EMPLOYED DEPARTMENT AND OFFICERS OF THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE VISIT THE ESTABLISHMENTS ΤΟ ASSIST THEM IN QUESTIONNAIRES.

BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT WOULD COMPLETING THE

SINCE THE INFORMATION TO BE COLLECTED FROM THE SURVEYS WOULD BE USEFUL TO THE GOVERNMENT AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN EVALUATING THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT OF HONG KONG, MISS WONG URGED THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS COVERED IN THE SURVEYS TO CO-OPERATE BY COMPLETING THE QUESTIONNAIRES.

S FOR W CALLS FOR GREATER EFFORT ON SITE SAFETY

THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, TODAY (THURSDAY} CALLED FOR A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TO IMPROVE SITE SAFETY.

SPEAKING AT THE LAUNCHING CEREMONY OF THE 1994 AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME (ACP) CONSTRUCTION SAFETY AWARD SCHEME, MR BLAKE SAID:

SITES, BUT

"WE ARE SEEING POSITIVE RESULTS, NOT ONLY ON ACP ALSO ON OTHER SITES BOTH GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR SITES.

"LET ME SAY AGAIN THAT IT IS CONTRACTORS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SAFETY ON THEIR SITES, AND AS THIS AWARD SCHEME HAS ALREADY DEMONSTRATED, RESPONSIBLE CONTRACTORS ARE SUCCESSFULLY MOVING TOWARDS THEIR SAFETY OBLIGATIONS.

"THE GOVERNMENT'S JOB IS TO PROVIDE THE OVERALL ENVIRONMENT AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK TO PROMOTE SAFETY AT WORK AND THAT WE DO.

"IT

ΤΟ

—

AND

IS ALSO THE GOVERNMENT'S JOB, WHERE IT IS THE CLIENT, DIRECT STEPS TO ENFORCE SAFETY STANDARDS ON ITS OWN SITES THAT WE ALSO DO.

TAKE

AS

"PLANNERS AND DESIGNERS MUST ALSO TAKE SUCH RESPONSIBILITY IS WITHIN THEIR SPECIALIST AREAS OF CONTROL, AND I HAVE SEEN NOTHING TO SUGGEST THAT THEY ARE NOT DOING SO.

"WHAT WE NEED, AND WHAT WE ARE PROMOTING WITH THIS AWARD SCHEME, IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY TO IMPROVE OUR SAFETY RECORD, MR BLAKE SAID.

H

TURNING ΤΟ SAFETY RECORDS ON ACP SITES, MR BLAKE SAID THE STRINGENT SAFETY MEASURES SET FOR AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME SITES WERE PRODUCING RESULTS WITH THE ACCIDENT RATE FALLING SINCE MID-1993.

BUT EVEN MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE.

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RECENT FATAL ACCIDENTS HAVE SHOWN YET AGAIN THAT WE CANNOT RELAX OUR VIGILANCE FOR EVEN ONE MOMENT," HE SAID.

/MR BLAKE