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The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, this afternoon (September 21) called upon employers and employees to continue to work together to promote occupational safety and health.
Speaking at the Ninth Hong Kong Occupational Safety and Health Award presentation ceremony, Mr Cheung said that the number of industrial accidents and injuries had dropped substantially in the past decade as employers, employees and various sectors of the community increased their awareness of occupational safety and health.
"With various major infrastructural projects gradually getting underway, we should redouble our efforts in this respect," he added.
Mr Cheung noted that the number of work accidents this year had in fact risen with increased employment in the wake of the financial tsunami and commencement of work on various major infrastructural projects.
He said, "In the first quarter of this year, 9,327 work injuries were recorded, up 9.6% on the 8,512 cases in the corresponding period last year. The injury rate per thousand employees went up by 6.7% from 13.0 to 13.9. Work accidents rose by 4.6% from 2,842 to 2,972 while the accident rate per thousand workers increased slightly by 2.5% from 20.7 to 21.2."
In the construction sector, 573 accidents and an accident rate of 42.5 per thousand employees were recorded in the first quarter of this year, up 4.9% and 1.1% respectively over the corresponding period last year.
Mr Cheung said he was particularly concerned about the safety of renovation, maintenance, alterations, additions and other minor works. "Of the some 2,700 construction accidents recorded last year, more than half involved minor and renovation works. Altogether 43.2% of the 546 cases in the first quarter of last year and 46.9% of the 573 cases in the first quarter of this year were related to minor and renovation works.
"To tackle the situation, the Labour Department has stepped up publicity and promotion on occupation, safety and health as well as enforcement action to help reduce the accident rate," he said.
Noting that even one accident was too many, Mr Cheung called on employers and employees to continue to nurture a culture of occupational safety and health in the industry, and work closely with the Labour Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Council to improve work safety and health.
Ends/Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:05
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