HONG KONG 2005

The Labour Department seeks to improve safety and health at the workplace through legislation, law enforcement, promotion, education and training. Through the concerted efforts of all parties concerned, including employers, employees, contractors, safety practitioners and the Government, Hong Kong's safety performance has improved significantly.

There were 44 267 occupational injuries in workplaces in 2005, a slight increase of 0.5 per cent over 44 025 cases in 2004, while the injury rate per thousand employees dropped slightly from 18.1 to 17.8, or 1.7 per cent.

The safety performance of the high-risk construction industry continued to improve, although it still had the highest number of fatalities and accident rate among all industries. The number of industrial accidents in the construction industry decreased from 3 833 in 2004 to 3 548 in 2005, down by 7.4 per cent. The accident rate per thousand workers dropped from 60.3 in 2004 to 59.9 in 2005, a decrease of 0.8 per cent.

In 2005, a total of 256 occupational disease cases were confirmed representing a 2 per cent rise from 251 cases in 2004 but a cumulative fall of 73 per cent from the peak at 948 cases in 1998. The most common occupational diseases were tenosynovitis of the hand or forearm, silicosis and occupational deafness.

The Labour Department focuses its inspections on high-risk or accident-prone industries and closely monitors organisations with poor safety records. Improvement notices or suspension notices are issued when necessary to secure a speedy rectification of irregularities, or to remove imminent risks to life and limb. In 2005, 153 suspension notices and 1 415 improvement notices were issued. The department also handled 1 821 prosecutions against employers, contractors and proprietors breaching the occupational safety and health legislation. The conviction rate was 83.8 per cent and fines totalled more than $13 million.

The Labour Department mounts special enforcement campaigns targeting high-risk work situations. The campaigns include working at height, scaffolding safety, tower crane safety, fire and chemical safety, lifting appliance safety, catering safety, and cargo and container handling. In 2005, the department conducted 14 special enforcement campaigns and 706 prosecutions were initiated. Altogether, 587 improvement notices and 94 suspension notices were issued.

Inspections of medical and health care institutes, warehouses and offices were conducted in 2005 to ensure the adequate protection of workers from infections, inhalation of air impurities and ergonomic hazards associated with the prolonged use of display screen equipment. There were two prosecutions, 427 warnings and 50 improvement notices issued.

The Labour Department intensified enforcement action on minor renovation and maintenance works in response to the findings of a study on the trend of industrial accidents in 2005. Occupational safety officers stepped up point-to-point inspections on normal working days, at night and during holidays to clamp down on offending contractors. The Labour Department also enhanced liaison with the Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies by setting up a reporting system on renovation and maintenance work on buildings under association members' management. During the year, a total of 421 enquiries, complaints and referral cases were received through the system. As a result of follow-up inspections by occupational safety officers on these cases, 102 suspension/improvement notices were issued and there were 88 prosecutions.

In 2005, the department launched a variety of promotional campaigns and publicity drives to enhance occupational safety and health. These activities included seminars, safety forums, thematic talks, roving exhibitions, TV and radio announcements of public interest, the promotion of the Occupational Safety Charter and Occupational Hygiene Charter and the organisation of the safety award schemes for the construction and catering industries.

The Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance requires mandatory basic safety training for people engaged in construction works and container handling operations. On satisfactory completion of the training, workers are issued with a certificate, commonly known as the Green Card, valid for three years. To revalidate the certificate, the worker has to attend a half-day refresher course every three years. By the end of 2005, over 768 000 people had obtained the Green Card for working on construction sites and container handling workplaces. Some 364 000 workers have completed the half-day refresher course.

The Occupational Safety and Health Training Centre of the Labour Department offers training courses and tailor-made talks to help workers understand the requirements of occupational safety and health legislation. In 2005, the centre organised over 800 such courses and talks for some 13 800 employees. Apart from conventional health talks, the Labour Department, with its contingent of medical doctors and nurses, has developed outreach services for health education, with health talks delivered at the venues of individual companies and organisations. In 2005, 1 701 health talks were delivered to more than 59 000 participants.