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In view of a rising trend in industrial accidents involving the repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works in recent years, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, called on members of the industry today (December 21) to enhance their safety awareness and alertness to prevent accidents.
Speaking at the launch ceremony for the promotional campaign for repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works safety, Mr Cheung said, "Repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works accidents accounted for 28.5% of construction accidents 10 years ago but it went up to 50.1% last year.
"In other words, the number of injured workers who were engaged in these works has increased from one in every 3.5 construction workers to one in every two.
"Of the 11 fatal construction accidents as at end-November, eight occurred in repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works while six out of 18 fatal accidents last year were from this sector."
Mr Cheung noted that the demand for repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works would increase substantially as the Government allocated more resources to implement minor works projects and to subsidise the repair of dilapidated buildings.
Many of these works are small scale and may involve self-employed workers who are not familiar with occupational safety and health regulations, and who are relatively weak in safety awareness.
He said, "As these works are often completed within a short period of time and involve a small number of workers, the contractors are not required to notify the Labour Department. Consequently, ensuring work safety and effective dissemination of information on occupational safety and health to the workers will be a great challenge."
In view of this, the Labour Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Council jointly launched a new two-year promotional campaign. A batch of Safety Ambassadors for the Repair, Maintenance, Alteration and Addition Works have been appointed to promote work safety to members of the industry at places with clusters of renovation materials stores.
Mr Cheung also noted that the Labour Department had included repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works as a target of their special enforcement operations and stepped up enforcement action.
In two special enforcement operations conducted in March and September this year, a total of 2,093 workplaces involving repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works were inspected, leading to the issuance of 467 warnings and 45 improvement notices as well as 45 prosecutions.
Ends/Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Issued at HKT 12:31
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