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The Programme of Safety and Health at Work
(http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/osh/content.htm)
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| 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.
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| 4.2 |
The
principal legislation for safety and health at work includes
the OSHO, the FIUO, and the BPVO.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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Our Work and Achievements in 2004
Safety Performance
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| 4.6 |
Through
the concerted efforts of all parties concerned, including
employers, employees, contractors, safety practitioners
and the Government, Hong Kong's work safety performance
has been improving since 1998, with the number of occupational
accidents and the accident rate per thousand workers falling
steadily.
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| 4.7 |
This
pattern, however, changed somewhat in 2004. The overall
number and rate of work accidents rose slightly as compared
to 2003. The increase was largely attributed to the rebound
of the local economy in the period that generated more
economic and business activities as compared with the
severe economic downturn brought about by the outbreak
of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in early 2003.
As a result, the year of 2003 provided a significantly
lower base for comparison. Nonetheless, comparing the
figures of 2004 to those of 2002, which was a normal year,
there was sustained improvement in the overall performance.
It is particularly noteworthy that despite a slight increase
in occupational injuries in 2004, the safety performance
of the construction industry continued to make noticeable
improvements.
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| 4.8 |
The
number of occupational injuries in all workplaces in 2004
stood at 44 025, an increase of 4.8 per cent
over 2003, while the injury rate per 1 000
employees increased slightly from 17.7 to 18.1, up by
2.6 per cent. However, compared to 2002, the number of
occupational injuries fell by 6.4 per cent and the injury
rate dropped by 5.7 per cent.
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| 4.9 |
The
safety performance of the high-risk construction industry
continued to improve. However, it still had the highest
number of fatalities and accident rate. The number of
industrial accidents in the construction industry decreased
from 4 367 in 2003 to 3 833
in 2004, down by 12.2 per cent. The accident rate per
1 000 workers dropped from 68.1 in 2003 to
60.3 in 2004, down by 11.4 per cent. Compared to 2002,
the number of accidents showed a hefty drop of 38.6 per
cent whilst the injury rate went down by 29.2 per cent.
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| 4.10 |
For
more statistics on occupational safety and health, please
visit the following webpage: http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/osh/content10.htm.
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| Key Indicators of Work |
| 4.11 |
Some
key indicators of work of this programme area are shown
in Figure 4.1.
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| Legislative Improvements |
| 4.12 |
In
January 2004, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings
(Safety Officers and Safety Supervisors) Regulation was
extended to the container handling industry and the minimum
qualification and working experience required for registration
as a safety officer were raised. In March 2004, the Factories
and Industrial Undertakings (Gas Welding and Flame Cutting)
Regulation has also come into full operation. Any person
who performs gas welding and flame cutting work must hold
a valid certificate after completing a recognised training
course.
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| Law Enforcement |
| 4.13 |
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.
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| 4.14 |
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, lift and escalator, container handling and storage,
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. These operations were also carried out after
normal office hours and on holidays to monitor the safety
performance of building renovation works. Through these
operations, renovation contractors were urged to take
adequate safety precautions to ensure work safety of their
workers.
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| 4.15 |
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 2003, we enhanced
the inspection of high-risk workplaces including hospitals,
clinics and elderly homes to ensure adequate provision
of personal protective equipment and proper training in
the use of the equipment.
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| 4.16 |
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 2004, there were 31 appointed examiners
and seven 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 2004, 414 candidates were examined,
of whom 368 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.
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Inspecting
a water-tube boiler superheater safety valve. |
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| 4.17 |
As at 31 December 2004, a total of 158 547
workplaces, including 14 375 construction sites,
were recorded. In the year, 118 861 inspections
were conducted under the OSHO and the FIUO, while 5
744 inspections were made under the BPVO. As a result,
34 053 warnings were issued by Occupational
Safety Officers while 3 816 warnings were given
under the BPVO. Altogether, 1 555 suspension
or improvement notices were issued. We also carried out
12 342 and 2 435 investigations
on accidents and suspected occupational diseases respectively
in the year. Among the suspected occupational diseases,
251 cases were confirmed. |
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| Safety Training and Occupational
Health Education |
| 4.18 |
We
provide training-related services to help industry reduce
occupational injuries. Such services are divided into
three broad categories, namely provision of training courses,
accreditation of external training providers and registration
of safety officers and safety auditors.
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| 4.19 |
In
2004, we conducted 533 training courses on safety legislation
for 4 530 participants and 305 tailor-made
safety briefing sessions for 8 832 employees.
We also accredited 18 mandatory basic safety training
courses for the construction and container-handling industries.
As at the end of 2004, more than 699 000
persons have completed the training. We also accredited
13 confined spaces safety training courses, nine loadshifting
machinery safety training courses and four gas welding
and flame cutting safety training courses.
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| 4.20 |
In
2004, 157 applicants were registered as safety officers
while 84 applicants were registered as safety auditors.
As at the end of 2004, there were 2 677 persons
on the register of safety officers and 706 persons on
the register of safety auditors.
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| 4.21 |
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 2004, we delivered a total of 1
746 health talks.
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Safety Promotion
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| 4.22 |
To
inculcate a safety culture and to enhance safety awareness,
we organised a series of promotional activities in 2004,
some in conjunction with other organisations such as the
Occupational Safety and Health Council, trade associations,
workers' unions and other government departments. |
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| 4.23 |
Under
the Customer Service Teams Project, volunteers visited
over 15 000 small and medium-sized enterprises
to introduce the OSHO and promote the safety management
concept to employers and employees.
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Volunteers
introducing occupational safety and health information
to small and medium-sized enterprises. |
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| 4.24 |
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 the Factories and Industrial Undertakings
(Gas Welding & Flame Cutting) Regulation, the safety
of working in confined spaces, and the safety in renovation
and maintenance of buildings. |
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Promotion
of work safety on bus body. |
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| 4.25 |
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 2004, 768 organisations, including public utilities companies,
industrial and non-industrial establishments, banks, construction
companies, unions and associations, had subscribed to the
Occupational Safety Charter. |
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The
Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
subscribing to the Occupational Safety Charter. |
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| 4.26 |
In
2004, 29 new occupational safety and health publications
were published, including a code of practice for the safe
use of mobile cranes, casebooks on occupational diseases
and fatalities, and fatal accidents in lift installation,
maintenance and repairing works; guidance notes on the inspection,
thorough examination and testing of suspended working platforms,
and safety at work for maintenance of low voltage electrical
switchgears; other safety guides on safety at work in inclement
weather, interlocking of steel sheet piles, interlocking
device on hoistway gates for safe use of material hoists,
and noise control in entertainment industry; and posters
on safety at work in renovation and maintenance of buildings. |
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Codes
of practice on safe use of mobile cranes. |
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Work
safety guidance on suspended working platforms and
low voltage electrical switchgears. |
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Occupational
disease casebooks and occupational fatalities casebooks.
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Other
guides on occupational safety. |
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| 4.27 |
In 2004, we handled 20 681 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.
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| Medical and Clinical Services
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| 4.28 |
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. |
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| 4.29 |
In 2004, 8 126 clinical consultations were
rendered, and 2 682 medical examinations and
assessments performed. Five patient support groups were
organised to promote patients' treatment compliance and
sustainability in good work practices through health talks,
experience sharing and peer support. |