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Local catering establishments are invited to take part in the Catering Industry Safety Award Scheme jointly organised by the Labour Department, the Occupational Safety and Health Council and eight co-organisers. Entries will be accepted from tomorrow (August 29) to September 11.
The scheme was launched in 1999 to enhance the occupational safety and health awareness of employers, employees and stakeholders in the industry.
It also aims to instil a good occupational safety and health culture for the industry and the general public, and to award catering establishments, supervisors and workers with good performances in work safety and health.
All participating establishments must hold a full licence issued by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. They should have no record of serious or fatal accidents or Suspension Notices issued by the Labour Department or had their licences suspended by other departments in the 12 months preceding the enrolment deadline and before the announcement of the assessment results.
Entries will be divided into six sub-categories: Chinese restaurants; restaurants (non-Chinese); hotels with kitchen; fast food shops serving Western food; fast food shops serving both Chinese and general categories of food; and cafe, light refreshments eating places and canteens.
A Safety Performance Special Award and Group Safety Performance Award will be introduced respectively to catering establishments with only one outlet, which have attained good occupational safety and health performance and to groups which have entered the competition with more than one outlet in the same sub-category and have achieved good overall work safety and health performance.
Each sub-category of catering establishments and the Group Safety Performance Award will have gold, silver, bronze and merit prizes. Winners of the Safety Performance Special Award, Supervisor Award and Safe Worker Award will also be presented with prizes.
Assessment will take place between September and November. Assessment criteria will cover the physical conditions of the workplaces such as the overall layout of the kitchen; passageways, exit and fire fighting installations; stacking and storage of materials, equipment and apparatus; manual lifting and handling; machinery, equipment and hand tools; workplace environment control; and electricity and personal protection equipment.
Various aspects of the safety management system will also be assessed. These include the safety policy, organisation and training; risk assessment; safety rules and regulations; inspection of hazardous condition and incident investigation; emergency preparedness and safety promotion.
The organisers will also launch a Safety Slogan Competition for people over the age of 15 to enhance public awareness of the occupational safety and health with an aim to reduce the number of industrial accidents of the catering industry, with entries being accepted from tomorrow (August 29) to September 28.
Enrolment forms can be obtained from the department's Occupational Safety and Health Branch offices and the Occupational Safety and Health Council. They can also be downloaded from the department's website at www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/content.htm. Enquiries can be made on 2852 3565 or 2852 3567.
The Labour Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Council are the organisers while the Occupational Deafness Compensation Board is the co-organiser and sponsor of the event. Other co-organisers of the event are Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, Hong Kong Hotels Association, Association of Restaurant Managers, Association for Hong Kong Catering Services Management, Food and Beverage Management and Professional Staff Association, Hong Kong Catering Industry Association and Eating Establishment Employees General Union.
Ends/Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:00
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