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CHAPTER
4
SAFETY
AND HEALTH AT WORK
The
Programme of Safety and Health at Work
(http://www.labour.gov.hk/text/eng/osh/index.htm)
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:
- providing
a legislative framework to safeguard safety and health at work;
- ensuring
compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance
(OSHO), the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance
(FIUO), the Boilers and Pressure Vessels Ordinance (BPVO) and
their subsidiary regulations by conducting inspections and taking
out regulatory actions;
- investigating
accidents and occupational health problems at workplaces;
- improving
the knowledge and understanding of employers, employees and
the general public on occupational safety and health by providing
them with appropriate information and advice; and
- organising
promotional programmes and training courses to improve safety
awareness of the workforce.
Code
of Practice and Guidance Notes.
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 2003
Continuous
Improvement in Safety Performance
4.6
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/text/eng/osh/content10.htm.
Key
Indicators of Work
4.8
Some key indicators of work of this programme area are shown in
Figure 4.1.
Legislative
Improvements
4.9
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
Enforcement
4.10
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.
Blitz
operations.
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.
Inspection
on the operation of an automatic fire-tube boiler.
4.14
As at 31 December 2003, a total of 153 730 workplaces,
including 13 217 construction sites was recorded.
In 2003, 124 833 inspections were conducted under the OSHO and
the FIUO, while 6 494 inspections were made under
the BPVO. 36 394 warnings were issued by Occupational
Safety Officers while 4 120 warnings were given under
the BPVO. Altogether, 1 440 suspension or improvement
notices were issued. We also carried out 11 866 and
2 948 investigations on accidents and suspected occupational
diseases respectively in the year. Among the suspected occupational
diseases, 258 cases were confirmed.
Safety
Training and Occupational Health Education
4.15
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 4 336 participants and 269 tailor-made safety
briefing sessions for 8 641 employees. We also accredited
29 mandatory basic safety training courses for the construction
and the container-handling industries. As at the end of 2003,
more than 632 000 persons have completed the training.
We also accredited 38 confined spaces safety training courses,
six loadshifting machinery safety training courses and three gas
welding and flame cutting safety training courses.
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 2 153 health talks.
Safety
Promotion
4.19
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 Service
4.22
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.
Occupational
Disease Casebooks (Chinese Version only) and Occupational Fatalities
Casebook.
4.23
In 2003, we handled 25 837 enquiries, advising on
various occupational safety and health matters. One-stop information
and advisory services are provided to workers and employers at
the Occupational Safety and Health Centre.
Medical
and Clinical Services
4.24
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.
Medical
assessment.
4.25
In
2003, 7 039 clinical consultations were rendered,
and 2 643 medical examinations and assessments performed.
Ten patient support groups were organised to promote patients'
treatment compliance and sustainability in good work practices
through health talks, experience sharing and peer support.
Improved
Application of Information Technology
4.26
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.
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2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter
4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter
6 | Chapter 7 |
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Figures and Charts |
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