The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:

     While striving to enhance speed, efficiency and quantity to meet the total public housing production of about 360 000 units in the next 10 years, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) will continue to accord top priority to the safety of work processes, the Permanent Secretary for Housing, Miss Agnes Wong, said.
      
     "As the main organisation to provide public housing in Hong Kong, the HA sets the highest safety standards and aims at 'zero fatal accidents' to ensure workplace safety. We attach the utmost importance to the safety and health of site workers. It is crucial to make the best efforts to strengthen the site safety management and prevent the occurrence of accidents," Miss Wong said yesterday (December 6) at the Safety Forum for Works and Property Management Services 2022.  

     The HA continuously enhances its procurement strategies and performance assessments to ensure the safety performance of the contractors. It also widely adopts technologies such as Modular Integrated Construction and Multi-trade Integrated Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing for speeding up flat production as well as fostering site safety management, with a view to reducing on-site work processes and minimising the chance of accidents on site. 
 
     The annual Safety Forum, jointly organised by the HA, the Occupational Safety and Health Council and the Construction Industry Council, provides a regular platform for the industry to share experiences and best practices for safety. The Forum was conducted again in the form of a webinar this year due to the epidemic situation. 
 
     The theme for this year's forum was "Accident Prevention for Safeguarding Lives". Industry professionals were invited to present practical information and share experiences with around 800 online registered participants, including works contractors, property services agents, cleaning and security service providers, HA works and estate management staff, as well as industry practitioners. Over the years, the Forum has successfully promoted safety awareness at all levels, from management to frontline staff to foster a safety culture.

Ends/Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Issued at HKT 12:45

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