XN000022-1994-11-21 — Page 12

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1994

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SAFETY CULTURE ON WORK SITES

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS SOUGHT TO REPLACE A CULTURE OF CARELESSNESS ON WORK SITES WITH THE CULTURE OF SAFETY, THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

ADDRESSING THE SAFETY CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION, MR BLAKE SAID THE GOVERNMENT, BOTH AS THE REGULATORY BODY AND THE LARGEST CLIENT FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKS, RECOGNISED ITS RESPONSIBILITY.

THE WORKS BRANCH WAS STEADILY AND INCREMENTALLY INTRODUCING MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES INTO ITS CONTRACTS, MR BLAKE SAID.

IF FULLY IMPLEMENTED, THEY WOULD ENSURE THAT AN ACTIVE ROLE WOULD BE TAKEN BY THE CONTRACTORS IN MAINTAINING SITE SAFETY, HE ADDED.

HE SAID THE SAFETY CULTURE WHICH HAD BEEN DEVELOPED QUITE SUCCESSFULLY FOR AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME (ACP) PROJECTS WERE NOW DIFFUSING TO NON-ACP WORK SITES.

"WE ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH A GUARANTEED OUT SPECIFIC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.

PAYMENT FOR CARRYING

"THIS WILL PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO FOLLOW SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AND ENSURE THAT THEY WOULD NOT REDUCE THEIR SAFETY COMMITMENT IN ORDER TO MAKE THEIR BID MORE COMPETITIVE IN TENDERING,"

IN ADDITION, MR BLAKE SAID REGULATORY CONTROL HAD BEEN IN PRODUCED WITH EFFECT FROM NOVEMBER 1 THIS YEAR TO SUSPEND CONTRACTORS FROM BIDDING GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD IN THE EVENT THEY EXCEEDED A SPECIFIED NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS FOR VIOLATION OF SAFETY REGULATIONS.

A CONTRACTORS AWARD SCHEME SIMILAR TO THAT FOR ACP CONTRACTS WAS ALSO UNDER CONSIDERATION, MR BLAKE ADDED.

OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES TO PROMOTE SAFETY ON WORK SITES INCLUDE PLANS TO SET UP SAFETY ADVISORY UNITS IN WORKS DEPARTMENTS, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE IN-HOUSE SAFETY TRAINING SCHEME WITHIN THE WORKS BRANCH TO PROVIDE BASIC AWARENESS TRAINING FOR SOME

1,500 GOVERNMENT OFFICERS AND SITE STAFF.

NOTING THAT 80 LIVES WERE LOST ON CONSTRUCTION SITES LAST YEAR, MR BLAKE POINTED OUT THAT MANY OF THE INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS COULD BE AVOIDED IF A CULTURE OF "WORK SAFE, THINK SAFE" COULD BE DEVELOPED.

HE URGED THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TO PUT EFFORTS IN PROMOTING SITE SAFETY.

"TO SAVE A HUMAN LIFE IS BETTER THAN TO CONSTRUCT SEVEN STOREYS OF BUDDHA, HE SAID.

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