Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme promotes occupational safety and health culture (with photos)
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The Labour Department (LD) held the 23rd Award Presentation Ceremony of the Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme today (March 26) to recognise principal contractors, sub-contractors, site personnel and frontline workers with good performances in occupational safety and health (OSH). The scheme aims at enhancing OSH awareness and fostering a culture of safety in the construction industry.
This year’s award scheme received an overwhelming response with participation of 203 construction sites. Among them, 67 sub-contractors, 137 safety teams and 142 frontline foremen competed for awards in three categories: “Construction Sites”, “Safety Teams” and “Outstanding Frontline Foremen”. A total of 30 workers were also nominated for a “Safe Workers” award in the course of assessment. The result of the award scheme will be uploaded onto the LD homepage later.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Commissioner for Labour, Ms May Chan, said among the 25 fatal industrial accidents that occurred last year, 17 involved the construction industry, indicating that the industry still had the highest OSH risks. The LD attaches great importance to the OSH standards in the industry. Last year, a series of promotional videos targeting different stakeholders such as contractors, workers and property owners were produced to promote safety measures required when carrying out work-above-ground activities and scaffolding work, while reminding the industry to put safety first. Going forward, the LD will continue to step up inspection and enforcement at construction sites, strengthen publicity and promotion as well as education and training so as to foster a culture of OSH in a proactive manner.
Ms Chan added that the Bills Committee of the Legislative Council has completed its scrutiny of the Occupational Safety and Occupational Health Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2022, to overall increase the maximum penalties of the OSH legislation. The LD intends to propose the resumption of the Second Reading debate on the Bill in April and expects that the passage of the Bill will have an immediate effect on raising OSH standards in Hong Kong.
Inaugurated in 1999, the Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme is co-organised by the LD with 15 organisations, namely the Occupation Safety and Health Council, the Development Bureau, the Hong Kong Housing Authority, the Occupational Deafness Compensation Board, the Construction Industry Council, the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board, the Hong Kong Housing Society, the Hong Kong Construction Association, the Hong Kong General Building Contractors Association, the Hong Kong Construction Sub-Contractors Association, the Hong Kong Federation of Electrical and Mechanical Contractors Limited, the Minor Works Contractor Association, the Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies, the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union and the Federation of Hong Kong Electrical and Mechanical Industries Trade Unions.