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CHAPTER 4SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORKThe Programme of Safety and Health
at Work 4.1 The Occupational Safety and Health Branch is responsible for the promotion and regulation of safety and health at work. The objective of the Programme of Safety and Health at Work is to ensure that risks to people's safety and health at work are properly managed and reduced to the minimum by legislation, education and promotion. More specifically, we achieve the objective by:
4.2 The principal legislation for safety and health at work includes the OSHO, the FIUO, and the BPVO. 4.3 With few exceptions, the OSHO protects employees' safety and health at work in practically all branches of economic activities. It is basically an enabling legislation that empowers the Commissioner for Labour to make regulations prescribing standards for general working environment as well as specific safety and health aspects at work. 4.4 The FIUO regulates safety and health at work in industrial undertakings, which include factories, construction sites, cargo and container handling areas, as well as catering establishments. 4.5 The BPVO aims at regulating the standards and operation of equipment such as boilers, pressure vessels, including thermal oil heaters, steam receivers, steam containers, air receivers and pressurised cement tanks mounted on trucks or trailers. Our Work and Achievements in 2003Continuous Improvement in Safety Performance4.6 Hong Kong's occupational safety and health performance continued to improve in 2003, with notable performance in the construction and catering industries. 4.7 For statistics on occupational safety and health, please visit the following webpage: http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/osh/content10.htm. Key Indicators of Work4.8 Some key indicators of work of this programme area are shown in Figure 4.1. Legislative Improvements4.9 In 2003, we amended the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations to extend the duties imposed on the principal contractor of a construction site to other contractors who control the way any construction work is carried out on the site. To go with this amendment, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Lifting Appliances and Lifting Gear) Regulations, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Suspended Working Platforms) Regulation and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Loadshifting Machinery) Regulation were also amended to extend the duties of the principal contractor to other contractors who control the way any construction work involving the use of these equipment or machinery is carried out on the construction site. These amendments will help improve the safety performance of construction sites. Law Enforcement4.10 To secure safety and health at work, we inspect workplaces, monitor health hazards, investigate work accidents and occupational diseases, register and inspect boilers and pressure equipment and advise on measures to control hazards or prevent recurrences. 4.11 A key element in enforcement is to advise on prevention of accidents. We conducted special promotional visits to encourage employers to adopt a self-regulatory approach in managing risks at the workplace. A number of special blitz operations were also organised on safety of working-at-height, scaffold, container handling, gas welding and flame cutting, fire and chemical, and plant and machinery. The operations on safety of working-at-height and scaffold focused on the external renovation work of buildings. Through these operations, renovation contractors were urged to take adequate safety precautions to ensure the safety at work of their workers.
4.12 We continued to target at establishments with poor safety performance for close surveillance. Improvement notices or suspension notices were issued when necessary to secure a speedy rectification of irregularities, or to remove imminent risk to lives and limbs. Many of these companies, especially those in the construction industry, have shown significant improvements in their safety performance. In the light of the SARS epidemic in the year, we enhanced the inspection of high-risk workplaces including hospitals, elderly homes and workplaces undergoing cleaning and disinfection to ensure that adequate preventive measures were taken to reduce the risks of infection of workers. 4.13 The Commissioner for Labour, as the Boilers and Pressure Vessels Authority, recognises competent inspection bodies to assess and inspect new pressure equipment during manufacturing. As at the end of 2003, there were 31 appointed examiners and six recognised inspection bodies. We also conduct examinations, monitor courses for training of competent persons and issue certificates of competency to qualified candidates as competent persons for various types of boilers and steam receivers. In 2003, 496 candidates were examined, of whom 425 were awarded certificates of competency. We also advise the Fire Services Department on approval and preliminary inspections of pressurised cylinders and storage installations for compressed gas.
4.14 As at 31 December 2003, a total of Safety Training and Occupational Health Education4.15 We provide training-related services to help industry reduce occupational injuries. Such services are divided into three broad categories, namely training courses, accreditation of external training providers and registration of safety officers and safety auditors. 4.16 In 2003, we conducted 518 training
courses on safety legislation for 4.17 In 2003, 95 applicants were registered as safety officers while 132 applicants were registered as safety auditors. As at the end of 2003, there were 2 520 persons on the register of safety officers and 622 persons on the register of safety auditors. 4.18 Occupational health education
is an important strategy for the control of occupational health hazards and prevention
of occupational diseases. Apart from the conventional way of organising health
talks at our own premises, we have also developed outreaching services for occupational
health education by delivering talks at the venues of individual companies or
organisations. In 2003, we delivered a total of Safety Promotion4.19 To inculcate a safety culture and to enhance safety awareness, we organised various promotional activities in 2003, some in conjunction with other organisations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Council, trade associations, workers’ unions and other government departments. 4.20 The well-received Catering Industry Safety Award Scheme and the Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme were organised again in the year. Campaigns were also launched to promote and publicise amendments to the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Officers and Safety Supervisors) Regulations, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Gas Welding and Flame Cutting) Regulation, the importance of rest breaks at work and the safety of working at height. 4.21 The Occupational Safety Charter was jointly launched with the Occupational Safety and Health Council in 1996 to promote the spirit of 'shared responsibility' in workplace safety and health, as well as setting out a safety management framework for employers and employees to work together to create a safe and healthy working environment. By the end of 2003, 737 organisations, including public utilities companies, industrial and non-industrial establishments, construction companies, unions and associations, had subscribed to the Occupational Safety Charter. Publicity and Advisory Service4.22 In 2003, 25 new occupational safety and health publications were published, including a code of practice for working with display screen equipment, casebooks on occupational disease and fatalities, and four guidance notes respectively on medical examinations for workers engaged in hazardous occupations in industrial undertakings, chemical safety in textile finishing, glass reinforced plastics fabrication, and paint spraying and related coating processes.
4.23
In 2003, we handled Medical and Clinical Services4.24 Our medical and nursing staff at the Occupational Health Clinic provides clinical consultations, medical treatment as well as occupational health education and counselling services for workers suffering from work-related diseases. The workplaces of the patients are inspected if necessary to identify and evaluate occupational health hazards in the work environment. We also assess the medical fitness for work of radiation workers, aviation personnel and government employees exposed to specific occupational health hazards.
4.25 In 2003, Improved Application of Information Technology4.26 In 2003, we continued to improve our electronic databank that contained information on occupational accidents, safety and health legislation, legal advice and reference materials. The Occupational Safety and Health Management Information System was also put into operation in 2003. The system facilitated communication and information sharing in and between the Headquarters and regional offices. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
