The Occupational Safety and Health Branch of the Labour Department administers the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and their subsidiary legislation to protect the safety and health of employees at work in almost all economic sectors.

    Enforcement of the legislation is carried out through routine inspections of workplaces and special campaigns. To arouse safety awareness among employers and employees and to facilitate compliance of the law, the department promotes the Occupational Safety Charter, publishes a wide variety of guide books and codes of practice and undertakes other activities such as organising safety campaigns and awards, exhibitions and seminars.

Boilers and Pressure Vessels Safety

The Boilers and Pressure Vessels Division administers the Boilers and Pressure Vessels Ordinance to ensure the safe use and operation of pressure equipment. The division conducts regular spot checks on pressure equipment. It also conducts examinations for the issue of Certificates of Competency, investigates accidents and undertakes activities to promote safety.

    In 2002, the division processed 2 075 applications for registration of equipment, conducted 6 444 inspections, and issued 603 Certificates of Competency and endorsements.

Occupational Health

The Occupational Health Service of the Labour Department aims to protect the health of workers from hazards in the work environment. It sets occupational health standards, monitors occupational hygiene practice in the workplaces and enforces occupational health and safety legislation. It undertakes medical examinations for radiation workers and government employees engaged in hazardous occupations, provides clinical consultation for employees with a work-related illness, investigates occupational diseases, arranges medical assessments for injured employees, and conducts health education and promotion programmes for workers. The service also provides hyperbaric oxygen therapy for treatment of decompression sickness in divers.

    In 2002, the service put special emphasis on promoting health and safety in the use of display screen equipment to tie in with the newly enacted Occupational Safety and Health (Display Screen Equipment) Regulation.

Occupational Safety and Health Council

The Occupational Safety and Health Council was established in 1988 to foster a safe and healthy working environment in Hong Kong through training, promotion, consultancy, information services and research.

    Training and promotional initiatives focusing on high-risk industries have always been the council's top priorities. New training courses were conducted in support of new legislation. The number of training programmes was 630 and a total of 16 300 persons attended the training courses in 2002. Classroom training was strengthened with practical sessions on gas welding, forklift truck operation, working in a confined space, working at a height, operation of abrasive wheels and the use of fire extinguishers. The council also started new classes on occupational health to cater for the growing needs of employers and employees. Interactive computer-based training software has been developed to assist trainees in better understanding the concepts and theories.

    The council produced 'Do-it-yourself' training kits to assist organisations in conducting in-house safety training. During the year, a 'tool box talk' training kit in three series was specially designed in support of the recommendation made by the Construction Industry Review Committee on providing assistance to contractors and subcontractors in conducting site specific in-house safety training.

    A new edition of the OSH Bookshelf CD-ROM was produced featuring a full range of safety and health-related publications published by the council and eight government departments. This OSH Bookshelf and major publications such as research project reports, bulletins and the Green Cross magazine were uploaded to the council's home page for easy access by the public.

    The council launched the first Hong Kong Occupational Safety & Health Award in June to recognise outstanding achievements of corporations and organisations in the field of workplace safety and health. Major promotional initiatives were structured under the following main themes: the Occupational Health Day in February promoting public awareness on the prevalence and management of stress at work; the Construction Safety Day in September focusing on site safety; and the Good Housekeeping Day in December encouraging good practices at workplaces.

    The council is committed to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in conducting safety and health enhancements through its OSH Enhancement Scheme for SMEs. During the year, a 'Business Installation Safety Design Competition for Tertiary Students' was launched to encourage students from the mechanical or science disciplines to design safe and practical equipment or installations that can benefit SMEs in their safety performance.

    As the sixth affiliate 'safe community support centre' of the World Health Organisation, the council continued to promote safety and health at the district and community levels. New 'Safe Communities' in Sham Shui Po and Tai Po were established in November. In furtherance of its objectives, the council is prepared to embrace partnerships in raising safety awareness in the communities.