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Following is a question by the Hon Wong Yung-kan and a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mrs Regina Ip, in the Legislative Council today (May 9):

Question :

On the March 6, a cylinder containing a chemical, picric acid, was found abandoned for years in the Marine Laboratory of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The scene was cordoned off for instant detonation of the chemical which could be highly explosive. With regard to the handling of dangerous chemicals by tertiary institutions, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the respective numbers of accidents involving dangerous chemicals in tertiary institutions and the resultant casualties in the past three years;

(b) whether it knows the amounts of various types of dangerous chemicals currently kept in different tertiary institutions and, among these chemicals, the amounts of those which are explosive; and

(c) of the measures in place to monitor the handling of dangerous chemicals by tertiary institutions?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) In the past three years, the Fire Services Department recorded a total of nine accidents involving chemicals in tertiary institutions, in which five people were injured.

(b) Storage of dangerous goods in excess of the exempted quantity stipulated in the "Dangerous Goods Ordinance" requires a proper licence. At present, the numbers of dangerous goods licences held by various tertiary institutions are as follows:

                                    No. of licences
                                    ---------------
Chinese University of                  62
Hong Kong
Hong Kong University of                43
Science and Technology
University of                            26
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Polytechnic                  16
University
City University of                      14
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Institute of                 10
Education
Hong Kong Baptist                        2
University
Lingnan University                      Nil 
Open University of                      Nil
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Academy for                  Nil
Performing Arts

(c) All tertiary institutions are statutory autonomous bodies which have the responsibility to ensure that their safety facilities are in compliance with the prevailing legislation. They also have to put in place and maintain appropriate measures and procedures as required by the law to protect the health and safety of all those in the institutions. Legislation governing dangerous goods and the safety of laboratories includes the Dangerous Goods Ordinance(Chapter 295), Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance(Chapter 509), Gas Safety Ordinance(Chapter 51), Waste Disposal Ordinance(Chapter 354), etc.

In this regard, the Dangerous Goods Ordinance stipulates about 400 types of dangerous goods which are classified into ten categories according to their characteristics, e.g. combustible substances, corrosive substances, substances liable to spontaneous combustion, substances which become dangerous by interaction with water, etc. In addition to the classification, the Ordinance also provides for the control of these dangerous goods in other aspects, including the proper labelling and packaging, safety measures during manufacture, storage, use or conveyance of such goods on land, at sea and in the course of transshipment, etc. The storage or conveyance of dangerous goods exceeding the statutory exempted quantity requires the issue of the appropriate licence and compliance with the conditions specified therein to ensure public safety.

The Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance stipulates that every employer must, so far as reasonably practicable, ensure the safety and health at work of all his employees. The employer's responsibility includes: (i) providing a system of work that is safe; (ii) making arrangements for ensuring safety in connection with the use and handling of plant and substances; and (iii) providing information, instruction and training to ensure safety at work. The Labour Department has published booklets to facilitate employers' compliance with the legislation on the safe handling and use of harmful substances, e.g. "Guide to Chemical Safety in Laboratories" and "A Reference Note on Occupational Exposure Limits for Chemical Substances in the Work Environment".

In order to comply with the requirements of the legislation, every tertiary institution with laboratories has issued guidelines and codes of practice for their students and laboratory technicians to ensure that all dangerous goods are used, stored, conveyed and disposed of in a proper manner. Moreover, the institutions have appointed their own safety officers who will make recommendations on the environmental health and safety conditions of the laboratories, render assistance to different departments in implementing the safety policy and ensure that the environmental setting of the laboratories and the relevant procedures are in compliance with the requirements of the legislation. These safety officers will regularly inform the staff and students of the relevant safety policy, requirements and procedures. In addition, the Tertiary Institutions Safety Advisory Group established in 1993 also provides a forum for eight institutions to share their experiences in laboratory safety management.

The enforcement authorities such as the Fire Services Department and the Labour Department maintain close liaison with the tertiary institutions to ensure compliance with the relevant legislation.

End/Wednesday, May 9, 2001

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