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Stakeholders in the community should continue to work together to further reduce work accidents despite improvement in Hong Kong's occupational safety and health performance in recent years, the Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour (Labour), Mr Paul Tang, said.
Speaking at a promotional event for the World Day for Safety and Health at Work today (April 28), Mr Tang urged employers, employees, professional bodies and organisations concerned to keep on working with the Government to foster a strong work safety and health culture. This would help provide employees with a safer and healthier work environment.
"The Hong Kong Government has all along attached great importance to protecting the safety and health of employees at work. The Labour Department adopts a multi-pronged approach of legislation and enforcement, publicity and promotion as well as training and education to raise work safety and health level over the years," he said.
With the collaborative efforts of the Government, the Occupational Safety and Health Council, the related trade associations, trade unions, professional bodies and organisations over the years, the number of work injuries has dropped steadily from its peak in 1998.
However, the Labour Department and the organisations concerned should not be complacent. The department will continue stepping up enforcement and publicity in order to reduce work accidents to a minimum.
"All parties, including employers, employees, and even the whole society, have to pay a heavy price for a work accident. Injured employees will not only suffer physical pains, but also lose their work capabilities and encounter difficulties in their livelihood."
"Employers have to bear losses for employees' absence from duty due to work accidents. An unsafe work environment will also increase the risk of injury and undermine employees' devotion and sense of belonging, thus diminishing the company's productivity and competitiveness," Mr Tang said.
He stressed that safety and health at work was a shared responsibility. He believed that the collective efforts of all related parties would help upgrade the occupational safety and health standard in Hong Kong.
The promotional event for the World Day for Safety and Health at Work was jointly organised by the Occupational Safety and Health Council and the Radio Television of Hong Kong to pay tribute to the labour force's contribution to prosperity in Hong Kong and to raise public concern on work safety and health.
Ends/Saturday, April 28, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:03
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