INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS (Safeguards)

Mr Teong Eng Siong asked the Minister for Labour whether he is aware that in the past 9 months there were about 6,000 accidents in industries of which 10 cases were fatal, 63 cases resulted in workers being maimed for life and 627 cases resulted in workers being temporarily incapacitated; and if he will say what steps have been, or are being, taken to minimise industrial accidents in order to safeguard the lives of workers and the livelihood of their families.

Mr Jek Yeun Thong: Mr Speaker, Sir, in the first nine months of this year the Labour Ministry received a total of 6,383 reports of accidents. Of these, 83 were fatal, 435 resulted in permanent disablement, and 5,865 resulted in temporary disablement. Fifty-seven of the fatal accidents were accounted for by heart failure (9 cases), drowning (9 cases), explosions (13 cases), falls of persons (14 cases), and collisions (12 cases). Of the 435 permanent disablement cases, the degree of disablement in more than half of them - 297 cases - was from 1¼ per cent to 5 per cent. In another 107 cases, it was from 6 per cent to 20 per cent. In the remaining 31 cases, disablement was about 21 per cent.

Investigations into the causes of accidents in factories have revealed that most of them were due to faulty operation of machinery, ignorance or lack of training of the workmen, lack of coordination between workers, carelessness or negligence of the workers concerned, absence of safety devices or safety appliances, and poor maintenance of industrial equipment. Minimum standards of safety and health in factories are laid down in the Factories Ordinance which is enforced by my Ministry. During the last ten months, factory inspectors made 6,246 inspections of factories. It has been found that enforcement of the law alone is not sufficient for the prevention of accidents. It is necessary to educate the workers, to arouse their safety consciousness, and also to improve supervision of work by management. In order to do this, a number of measures have been taken. Safety posters have been printed and distributed to factories for prominent display, and safety pamphlets are in the course of preparation. The managements of bigger factories have been persuaded to set up safety committees in their factories to promote the safety consciousness of their workers.

An industrial Safety Branch has been established under the National Safety First Council with the aim of preventing accidents in industrial establishments. More regular visits to factories by inspectors of factories are being planned so that advice can be given to factory occupiers and a higher standard of safety can be achieved. Arrangements have been made with the Electricity Department of the Public Utilities Board since September this year for the electrical installations in factories to be inspected by electrical inspectors.

In order to take preventive measures in respect of occupational health in industry, it is intended to set up an Industrial Health Unit. For this purpose, assistance has been sought under the U.N. Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance for an industrial health expert. An expert is due to arrive here early next year. The Industrial Health Unit, when set up, will contribute greatly to the prevention of industrial hazards to which workmen are exposed.

Mr Teong Eng Siong: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, a supplementary question. The Minister has mentioned just now that a unit will be formed to look into and to prevent accidents in industries. I would like to ask whether his Ministry has regularly sent out officers to inspect the various factories and installations in the factories. He has also said just now that some of the accidents were due to faulty machinery. I would therefore like to ask whether there will be adequate compensation to those workers who met with such accidents. These accidents are disastrous because they bring about more widows and orphans. So I would ask the Minister to take appropriate steps to prevent them.

Mr Jek Yeun Thong: The Member for Sembawang did not hear me just now. He has asked whether we have sent out any inspectors to inspect these factories regularly. I have said that during the last 10 months we have sent inspectors to these factories for inspection and 6,246 inspections have been made during this period.

Mr Teong Eng Siong: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has said that he has sent out inspectors to inspect the various factories.

Mr Jek Yeun Thong: May I speak in Mandarin, Sir?

Mr Speaker: Certainly.

Mr Jek Yeun Thong: (In Mandarin): These inspections were made not after the accidents but before the accidents. We sent them out before the accidents happened. They were routine inspections.

3.30 p.m.

Mr Speaker: Under the Standing Orders, that concludes Questions for the day. Questions not withdrawn will be dealt with by way of written answers*.

(*See Mr Barker's motion on col. 509.)

Mr Tang See Chim (Choa Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I understand that under Standing Order 20, paragraph (2) , Members are entitled to request that questions that are not answered be postponed for oral answer at a later sitting. May I request that my two questions set down on the Order Paper be so postponed?

Mr Speaker: Mr Tang, I am afraid you are too late. Fifteen minutes ago I said that anyone who wanted his questions put forward to another day should signify to the Clerk before 3.30 p.m. As that was not done, I will now proceed to the introduction of Government Bills.