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In response to media enquiries regarding recent fatal industrial accidents, the Labour Department today (September 5) gave the following response:
The Labour Department (LD) is very concerned about industrial accidents, especially fatal ones. Upon request by the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims this morning, the Chief Occupational Safety Officer (Operations) of the LD, Mr Li Chi-leung, met with representatives of the Association and family members of the deceased workers this afternoon.
During the meeting, the department listened very closely to the views of the family members. The department was saddened by the death of workers and expressed its deepest condolences to the family members. The Employees' Compensation Division of the LD will assist the family members to claim employees' compensation and offer appropriate assistance.
After the accidents, officers from the LD immediately conducted investigations to look into the causes of accidents and recommend improvement measures. Once responsible persons are found liable for the causes of accidents, the department will act in accordance with the law.
The LD has been working closely with the Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC), the Construction Industry Council, trade associations, labour unions, professional bodies and other government bureaux/departments to promote the occupational safety and health of construction employees through law enforcement, training and publicity.
In 2011, the LD conducted six territory-wide special enforcement operations targeting new works and repair, maintenance, alteration and addition (RMAA) works in the construction industry. In the first eight months in 2012, it conducted two territory-wide special enforcement operations, inspecting some 2 550 workplaces. It issued 520 Suspension Notices/Improvement Notices (an increase of about 28 per cent over 2011). The department will consider making some 470 prosecutions (an increase of about 64 per cent over 2011). In respect of RMAA works, the stepping up of area patrols and inspections outside office hours to deter contractors from adopting unsafe work practices will continue with a view to improving the safety performance of RMAA works.
Apart from inspection and enforcement actions, the LD held in March 2012 a Construction Safety Forum with industry stakeholders to enhance occupational safety in the industry. The department is now following up closely on the various improvement measures with relevant bodies and organisations. Since May 2012, the LD, the OSHC and labour unions have organised lunch talks on construction safety at construction sites, which is one of the improvement measures put forward at the Construction Safety Forum. Representatives of labour unions and family members of deceased workers meet with construction workers during lunchtime to talk about the causes of accidents, preventive measures and trauma suffered by family members to arouse the safety awareness of construction workers. Representatives of labour unions and family members of deceased workers have visited 29 construction sites to promote construction safety to 1 700 construction workers as at end of August.
In addition, the LD, in collaboration with the OSHC, launched in June 2012 the "OSH Star Enterprise - Pilot Scheme on RMAA Safety Accreditation" to encourage the industry to take practicable safety measures and improve the working environment through subsidising the cost of safety assessment, safety training and safety equipment.
Ends/Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:39
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