He said there were 1,494 cases last year compared to 1,446 for the same period in 1999. Out of the number, 19 people were killed in industrial accidents while 1,387 people were temporarily disabled and 88 others were permanently disabled.

In the last five years he said that a total of 111 people were killed in industrial accidents, 6,552 had succumbed to temporary disabilities and another 392 sufferred permanent disabilities.

Dato' Seri Tiong stated this in reference to the statement given by the Ministry of Human Resources at the recent Parliament session.

Tiong had asked the Human Resource Minister to reveal the type and number of indutrsial accidents that had occured in Bintulu industrial areas over the past five years and the status of safety precautions taken by the industries to curb industrial accidents.

Generally, he said that the industrial safety in the large-scale industries, which included petrochemical, oil and gas and other related industries is quite good, adding that they have safety management system which encompass the workers' health, thus contributing to relatively low accident rates.

However, he said that under the SMIs or Small and Medium Industries category, which included the sawmills, plywood factories, workshop and others, the safety level is usually unsatisfactory.

As such, he said that the Human Resource Minister through the Department of Manpower, Safety Health (JKKP) had constantly carried out checks on these industries.

Beside, he said that the department would also conduct a series of awareness programs in an attempt to instill and create greater safety awareness among employers on the importance of safety and health at their workplaces.

                        Additional books for schools in Bintulu

Meanwhile, during the Parliamentary session, Dato' Seri Tiong also said that eight schools in Bintulu would receive additional reading materials this year.They are Sekolah Kebangsaan Orang Kaya Mohammad, Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Baru, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sebiew, Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Balai, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sebauh and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Chung Hua in Tatau.

Tiong said this after receiving a reply from the Education Minister Tan Sri
Musa Mohammad, as to whether the ministry concerned had plans and allocation to furnish resource centres in both primary and secondary schools in Bintulu which had been identified to be lacking of reading materials and computers.

The schools mentioned above, he said are some of the 150 schools in Sarawak that had been identified by the Ministry of Education to be entitled for such assitance, allocation of which costs about RM5,000 for each school.
 
Last year, Tiong said that the ministry allocated additional reading materials to about 100 schools in Sarawak, including eight in Bintulu alone. They were Sekolah Kuala Annau, Sekolah Kebangsaan Labang, Sekolah Kebangsaan Rumah Tayai, Sekolah Kebangsaan Kidurong 2, Sekolah Kebangsaan Bintulu, Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Jepak, Sekolah Kebangsaan Assan and Sekolah Kebangsaan tatau.

Apart from the supply of additional reading materials, Tiong said that the Education Department would also continue to plan and allocate centres in rural schools with more advanced and latest technology-based equipment including computers...END.