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The Labour Department is highly concerned with the resurgent trend in work injuries in the construction industry recently. It called on related organisations and employees to pay more efforts to raise the occupational safety and health level of the trade and to reduce work injuries to a minimum.
The appeal was made by the Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at the presentation ceremony of the Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme today (March 25).
The number of industrial accidents in the construction industry recorded a slight increase of 0.3% from 2,587 in the first three quarters of 2005 to 2,596 in the corresponding period last year. On the other hand, the accident rate per thousand workers rose by 14.2% from 56.7 in the same period in 2005 to 64.7 in the corresponding period in 2006.
Mr Cheung noted that the construction industry was a high-risk industry. The Labour Department has all along treated the promotion of occupational safety and health among construction workers as one of its work highlights.
"In 1997, Hong Kong recorded 43,305 industrial accidents with an accident rate per thousand workers of 59.6. Among the industrial accidents, the construction industry topped all trades and accounted for 18,559 cases with an accident rate per thousand workers reaching as high as 227.4," Mr Cheung said.
He said that the Labour Department adopted a multi-pronged approach, covering legislation and enforcement, training and education as well as publicity and promotion, to tackle the issue. With the concerted efforts of related parties, the accident figure of the construction industry dropped notably in the period from 1997 to 2005.
"In 2005, the number of industrial accidents in the construction sector stood at 3,548 while the accident rate per thousand workers was 59.9. Comparing with 1997, the figures dropped significantly by 80.9% and 73.7% respectively."
In the light of the resurgent trend in work injuries, Mr Cheung encouraged trade personnel to enhance work safety and health and fulfilled the spirit of the slogans for this year's Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme: "Safety comes first in renovation and maintenance works. To protect yourself, don't overlook work safety" and "Lead a happy life with safety at heart".
"The Labour Department has been monitoring the safety performance of the construction industry in various ways and focusing its resources on accident-prone occupations and work conditions. In 2006, the department carried out special enforcement actions to ensure safety at work. Such actions were targeted at sewage works, operation of tower cranes and mobile plants, building repair and maintenance works as well as work at height," he continued.
Apart from enforcement action, the Labour Department also works with the Occupational Safety and Health Council and construction organisations to hold safety talks and seminars on tower cranes and scaffolding work to enhance work safety knowledge of the trade.
In addition, the Labour Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Council jointly launched an Anchor Device Sponsorship Scheme for Renovation and Maintenance Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. A subsidy of up to $3,500 is offered to small and medium-sized contractors to purchase anchoring equipment, T-shaped metal brackets and fall arresting equipment to increase work safety on scaffold works.
The Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme is co-organised by the Labour Department, the Occupational Safety and Health Council, the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau, the Hong Kong Housing Authority, the Construction Industry Training Authority, the Occupational Deafness Compensation Board, the Hong Kong Construction Association, the Hong Kong General Building Contractors Association, the Hong Kong Construction Sub-contractors Association, the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union and the Hong Kong Federation of Electrical and Mechanical Contractors Limited.
The scheme aims to raise the awareness of construction contractors, site personnel and workers of safety and health at work, and to commend participants for their good safety and health performance. The scheme has been well received with a record entry of 112 construction sites this year. Other participants included 47 sub-contractors and 70 safety teams.
Ends/Sunday, March 25, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:00
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