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Following is a question by the Hon Wu Chi-wai and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in the Legislative Council today (December 5):
Question:
It has been reported that in September this year, a cleaning worker had his left leg run over and dragged by an electric baggage vehicle in the Baggage Hall at the basement of the passenger terminal building at the Hong Kong International Airport. It has also been reported that when the Baggage Hall is packed with baggage and the driveway is blocked during peak hours, electric baggage vehicles need to go in the opposite direction of the traffic from time to time, and the aforesaid accident may be related to such a situation. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it knows the present condition of the injured cleaning worker; what assistance has been provided to him by the employer concerned, as well as whether the employer has reported the accident to the Labour Department within the specified period and made compensation to the injured employee in accordance with the Employees' Compensation Ordinance (Cap. 282); if it has, of the details; as it has been reported that the worker needed to have his left leg amputated to save his life, whether the Government will follow up the case and provide assistance to the victim and his family members; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) whether the Government and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) have conducted investigation into the aforesaid incident; if they have, of the details and outcome;
(c) of the number of traffic accidents which occurred within the airport area in each of the past five years, the resultant casualties, the number of relevant persons convicted, and whether it knows the details of the follow-up measures implemented by AA, together with a breakdown by the various parts (e.g. the Baggage Hall at the basement of the airport passenger terminal building, the restricted area and the car parks, etc.) of the airport;
(d) which government departments are currently responsible for monitoring the traffic order at various parts of the airport and enforcing the relevant legislation; of the number of people who had been penalised for contravening traffic rules or regulations within the airport area in each of the past five years;
(e) whether it knows the improvement measures implemented by AA in each of the past five years on the traffic order at various parts of the airport and enhancement of the baggage handling procedure; and
(f) whether it knows the details of the assessments conducted regularly on traffic order and safety by AA on airport staff engaging in various types of jobs (eg driving, handling and carrying baggage, etc.), as well as the training and working guidelines provided to them at present in this respect?
Reply:
President,
Regarding the Honourable Wu's question about a traffic accident which happened in September this year in the Baggage Hall at the basement of the Hong Kong International Airport, my reply is as follows:
(a) Due to privacy reason, we are not able to disclose details concerning the injury of the victim.
Subsequent to the accident, the employer of the victim has reported the work injury case to the Labour Department (LD) as required under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance (Cap. 282) and has provided him with an emergency relief of $50,000. The employer will pay the victim a sum equivalent to four-fifths of his salary every month, bear all his medical expenses, and follow up with LD on other compensation arrangements. LD has conducted a site inspection afterwards to find out more about the accident.
The victim was taken to hospital for treatment after the accident. During his hospitalisation, the medical social worker of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) stationed at the hospital provided psychological counselling and assistance to the victim and his family to help them overcome emotional and livelihood problems arising from the trauma and disability. Assistance offered include, providing them with a financial relief of $40,000 under the Rainbow Fund of The Community Chest, and introducing to them the medical fee waiver service. SWD is also processing the victim's application for Traffic Accident Victims Assistance.
Following the victim's transfer to another hospital for treatment, his case has been referred to the medical social services unit of that hospital by SWD for follow-up on progress of recovery and for psychological counselling for the victim and his family. Medical social workers will continue to attend to his care needs for rehabilitation after discharge from the hospital to facilitate his full recovery and reintegration into society.
The Airport Authority (AA) has given an ex-gratia payment of $50,000 to the victim after the accident. A campaign to seek donations from the airport community was also launched. About $100,000 was raised for the victim as an expression of care and sympathy.
(b) As the accident involves personal injury, AA has reported the case to the Police immediately. Traffic New Territories South of the Police is conducting an investigation into the traffic accident. While AA has tried to ascertain the cause and other details of the accident, investigation remains the responsibility of the Police.
(c) In the past five years, the number of traffic accidents in the Airport District and the resultant casualties are at Annex I. The Police does not maintain a breakdown by the different areas of the airport.
AA will take suitable follow-up actions for traffic accidents occur within the airport, which include ascertaining the cause and details of the accidents and formulating improvement measures. If the accident involves casualties, AA will transfer the case to the Police for investigation. To enhance safe operation in the restricted area and minimise the possibility of accidents, AA has also implemented a Driving Offence Points System in the restricted area. The number of points incurred by individual driving offences varies with their risks imposed on the restricted area. A driver who has incurred eight or more points will be disqualified from driving in the restricted area for three months and is required to resit and pass the relevant examination.
(d) All vehicles and mobile facilities operated in the restricted area must comply with the regulations stipulated in the Airside Driving Handbook. AA is responsible for enforcing the regulations. If an accident occurs which involves government vehicles or casualties, the Police will conduct investigation and take enforcement actions.
When driving in the non-restricted area of the airport, the driver must comply with the current traffic regulations of Hong Kong. Any offences will be dealt with by the Police in accordance with the traffic regulations.
The figures of traffic enforcement actions taken by the Police in the Airport District over the past five years are at Annex II.
(e) AA has been regularly examining the traffic condition and baggage handling procedures within the airport, and has implemented various preventive and improvement measures.
To ensure traffic safety in the restricted area, AA has put in place a system for issuing and renewing licences. Regulations and penalties are stipulated in the system. In addition, daily inspection and monitoring are also conducted. Furthermore, the restricted area has speed limits and clear traffic markings and signages, which are maintained and refurbished regularly. A Driving Offence Points Scheme has also been introduced in the restricted area. Offenders will be issued with verbal/written warnings or given driving offence points as appropriate. They will be required to attend retraining as arranged by their company at the earliest instance. A driver who has incurred eight or more points will be disqualified from driving in the restricted area for three months, and is required to resit and pass the relevant examination before resuming his driving qualification.
AA will analyse the traffic accident statistics to better understand the contributory causes and formulate suitable measures to enhance traffic safety. In 2010, AA provided additional markings at major entrances and road surface of the Baggage Hall to alert road users to watch out for pedestrians and vehicles. In 2011, AA extended the Driving Offence Points Scheme to cover the Baggage Hall. In addition, AA jointly organises with the Police two driving safety talks every year, conducts more than 50 safety workshops annually and holds monthly meetings on safety issues.
(f) Airport staff are employed by different organisations which are required to provide necessary training to their employees in accordance with respective labour legislations. This is to ensure that companies and their employees alike fully understand and comply with the safety regulations of the airport. AA organises biannual seminars with the companies' management to ensure that all companies provide their frontline staff with the required training.
As regards driving, all vehicles operating in the restricted area must bear a valid Airside Vehicle Licence. Drivers, apart from holding a valid Hong Kong Driving Licence valid for the equivalent class(es) of vehicle they propose to drive, must also pass the Airside Driver Examination to obtain the qualification of driving in the restricted area. They must also resit and pass the above examination every two years to renew their qualification.
Ends/Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:00
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