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The Labour Department conducted enforcement operations in late April to ensure that employers and employees adopt appropriate precautionary measures in combating atypical pneumonia. Inspections to 288 workplaces requiring frequent cleansing and disinfection were carried out.
Addressing a seminar for cleansing workers and building management personnel today (May 10), the Commissioner for Labour, Mrs Pamela Tan Kam Mi-wah, said:"We will continue our inspections to ensure that cleansing workers and building management personnel have taken appropriate precautionary measures in reducing work hazards."
At the seminar jointly organised by the Labour Department and the Occupational Safety & Health Council, specialists from different sectors talked about the prevention of the spread of germs and the proper use of personal protective equipment and disinfectants.
"Under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, the employer must, as far as reasonably practicable, ensure the safety and health at work of all employees," Mrs Tan said.
The Labour Department has contacted the Housing, Planning and Lands Bureau, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department as well as the Home Affairs Department, asking them to remind their cleansing contractors of the necessary safety measures. The department also wrote to more than 600 cleansing contractors, reminding them to provide suitable personal protective equipment for their staff.
Appeals were made to employers and employees in the cleansing industry to accord priority to work safety and health. Employers should provide appropriate training for employees in such areas as proper handling of chemicals and use of cleansing tools. They should also regularly remind workers of the need to adhere to guidelines issued by the Government on the prevention of diseases. Workers should maintain good personal hygiene and bathe thoroughly after work.
Cleansing workers themselves should also adhere to safe work procedures formulated by employers and make use of protective equipment, including suitable tools, masks and gloves. More importantly, they should not store incompatible chemicals (such as bleaching solution and concentrated hydrochloric acid) together or mix such chemicals in order to avoid danger.
End/Saturday, May 10, 2003
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