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CL calls on construction sector to continue improving safety at work
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     The Commissioner for Labour, Mr Cheuk Wing Hing, appealed to stakeholders of the construction sector to continue adopting a zero-tolerance attitude by raising safety levels at work.

     Speaking at the 12th Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme award presentation ceremony today (March 13), Mr Cheuk said the Labour Department has always co-operated with the construction sector and related bodies such as unions, government departments and public organisations, to adopt various measures to enhance the industry's occupational safety performance. The accident toll of the construction industry plunged 80.4% from 14,078 in 1999 to 2,755 in 2009, while the accident rate per thousand workers also dropped 72.5% from 198.4 to 54.6 in the same period.

     "The construction industry is still a high-risk industry. Its accident toll is relatively high compared to other industrial sectors, with fatal cases topping all sectors. In 2009, among recorded industrial accidents, 20.3% happened on construction sites and fatal accidents in the construction industry accounted for 90.5% of overall industrial fatal accidents," Mr Cheuk said.

     "Following the commencement of the ten major infrastructure projects, the number of large construction sites will increase and the demand for construction workers will grow rapidly. Labour shortage in the construction industry will inevitably accentuate and work safety may be neglected in order to speed up the work progress. Moreover, as fewer young people are joining the industry, the average age of construction workers will increase and the decline in physical strength of the workforce will likely become a factor pushing up the number of industrial accidents," he added.  

     He said the fact that the Government is providing more resources to carry out maintenance work to old buildings, such as through Operation Building Bright, and consequently mandatory building and window inspection schemes, renovation and maintenance works will increase, posing severe occupational safety performance challenges for the construction industry.

     This year marks the 12th anniversary of the Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme, which aims to raise the occupational safety and health awareness of contractors, site personnel and workers of the construction industry, as well as to honour, through an open competition, participants with good occupational safety and health performances.

     The Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme is co-organised by the Labour Department, the Occupational Safety and Health Council, the Development Bureau, the Hong Kong Housing Authority, the Construction Industry Council, the Occupational Deafness Compensation Board, the Hong Kong Housing Society, the Hong Kong Construction Association, the Hong Kong General Building Contractors Association, the Hong Kong Construction Sub-contractors Association, the Hong Kong Federation of Electrical and Mechanical Contractors Limited, The Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies and the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union.

     The Chairman of the Occupational Safety and Health Council, Mr Lee Kai-ming and representatives of the co-organisers also officiated at the award presentation ceremony today.

     The award scheme's site safety competition recorded an entry of 150 sites, 52 sub-contractors and 100 safety teams this year.

Ends/Sunday, March 13, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:41

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