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Following is the speech by the Postmaster General, Mr P C Luk, at the Health and Safety Campaign Kick-off Ceremony today (Tuesday):

Mrs Mak, Mr Mak, Mr Tang, ladies and gentlemen and colleagues,

Welcome to the Health and Safety Campaign Kick-off Ceremony held by Hongkong Post. I would like to extend my warmest welcome to Mrs Susan Mak, Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Dominic Mak, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Labour and Mr Tang Wah-shing, Executive Director of Occupational Safety and Health Council. Today's ceremony marks the milestone for occupational safety and health culture in Hongkong Post.

As a customer-oriented organization, Hongkong Post never leaves out our internal customers when sustaining service culture for external customers. We have been making strenuous effort in promoting occupational safety and health to build up a highly motivated and satisfied workforce within Hongkong Post. In December 1997, we established the Health and Safety Steering Committee to formulate policies and strategies in the aspect and subsequently set up 34 Local Safety Groups to look after safety issues. We also joined the Occupational Safety and Health Council and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in organizing courses. One of the examples would be the course co-organized with the Council in which 80 colleagues completed the risk assessment course and are qualified by the Labour Department as risk assessors in their workplace. Recently a series of activities are launched under the Campaign. They include organizing slogan competition, publishing Health and Safety Manual and Occupational Safety and Health Tips as well as issuing souvenir covers. Our division heads have participated activities organized by other institutes to increase their knowledge in the area. One of them is the Good Housekeeping Promotional Campaign launched by the Occupational Safety and Health Council.

Today we are presenting prizes to winners of the slogan competition and certificates to risk assessors. Local Safety Groups would also be presented with souvenir flags to mark their official setting up. I would like to take this opportunity to announce that "Zero work injury" Competition will be coming soon. It is an expression of our emphasis on occupational safety and health and our determination to promote this culture and the details would be announced later.

Ever since we started promoting occupational safety and health, awareness among our staff has been significantly raised. Our hard work pays and is shown in our work injury statistics. In the first three quarters of 1998, there were 146 work injuries while only 124 cases were recorded in the same period of 1999, representing a drop of 15%. These figures reflect that we have taken the right course.

Although we are making steady progress, we cannot afford to be complacent. There is still a long way to go. I hope all the Local Safety Groups, risk assessors and our colleagues will work together to create occupational safety and health culture. May all of us strive to make our working environment safe and comfortable.

Thank you.

End/Tuesday, December 7, 1999

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