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Continuous economic development opens up unlimited job and business opportunities for the construction industry, but at the same time it also poses challenges for the work safety of the industry. Expressing his concern over the situation, the Commissioner for Labour, Mr Donald Tong, emphasised that the Labour Department (LD) would strive to reduce work hazards in the construction industry by stepping up efforts in inspections and law enforcement, education and training, as well as publicity.
He called on the construction industry to take precautions to ensure site safety for the sustainable enhancement of occupational safety and health standards.
Speaking at the Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme Award Presentation Ceremony cum fun day today (March 16), Mr Tong said that the government invests more than $70 billion in infrastructure and public works projects every year. The ageing of buildings and mandatory requirements for inspections of old buildings and windows have also contributed to a prominent growth in repair, maintenance, alteration and addition (RMAA) works. Just for new works sites, the number of workers has increased by around 60 per cent from over 50 000 in 2009 to about 80 000 in 2013.
He pointed out that the LD has stepped up its efforts in inspection and law enforcement, education and training, as well as publicity to safeguard the occupational safety and health of workers.
Mr Tong said that the department is highly concerned about the fatal accidents involving falling from height that occurred late last year, and another three fatal cases related to lifting operations early this year.
"The Labour Department has stepped up surprise inspections at construction sites, pin-pointing high-risk operations such as working at height, lifting operations and electrical work, and will take stringent enforcement actions in this regard. Immediate enforcement action will be taken without prior warning once breaches of the safety legislation are detected. Suspension Notices or Improvement Notices will be issued, and prosecution actions will be taken promptly as appropriate," he stressed.
He said that the LD had strengthened the monitoring of new construction projects, and would from time to time launch special enforcement operations to curb unsafe operations. The LD has also strengthened its co-ordination with the Development Bureau, relevant works departments and other infrastructure project clients to urge contractors to incorporate work safety considerations in method statements and designs, and to reinforce the safety management system at the sites.
In addition, the LD launched a work safety accreditation scheme in collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC) in 2012 to enhance the work safety standard of the RMAA industry. Last year, the LD also launched a sponsorship scheme to subsidise small and medium contractors to procure suitable mobile working platforms to reduce the risk of falling from unfit ladders. So far over 900 applications have been approved, benefiting more than 10 000 workers.
In February this year, the LD held a RMAA Safety Conference, in which the industry stakeholders were invited to discuss ways to further promote the work-safety culture, and to explore specific measures to eliminate work-at-height hazards. In the coming months, the LD will implement the consensus items of the proposals raised at the conference as soon as possible. These include formulating codes of practice or guidelines for the industry, as well as encouraging developers and related professional bodies to incorporate work safety measures at the design stage.
The LD will continue to work with the industry to promote work safety for people engaged in the construction industry by organising large-scale publicity campaigns, outreach programmes and talks. Simple and easy-to-understand promotional leaflets will also be tailor-made for ethnic minority workers.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme, which aims to raise the occupational safety and health awareness of contractors, site personnel and workers in the construction industry, as well as to honour, through an open competition, participants with outstanding occupational safety and health performance.
The award scheme's site safety competition has drawn record-breaking participation from a total of 218 contractors, 64 sub-contractors and 156 safety teams this year.
The Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme is co-organised by the LD, the Occupational Safety and Health Council, the Development Bureau, Hong Kong Housing Authority, the Occupational Deafness Compensation Board, the Construction Industry Council, the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board, Hong Kong Housing Society, Hong Kong Construction Association, Hong Kong General Building Contractors Association, Hong Kong Construction Sub-Contractors Association, Hong Kong Federation of Electrical and Mechanical Contractors Limited, the Minor Works Contractor Association, Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies and the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union.
Legislative Council member, Mr Abraham Shek, the Chairman of the Occupational Safety and Health Council, Mr Conrad Wong and representatives of the co-organisers also officiated at the award presentation ceremony today.
Ends/Sunday, March 16, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:15
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