HEALTH
Environmental Hygiene
145
The work of the Urban Services Department and the Regional Services Department includes street cleansing, collection and removal of refuse and nightsoil, cleansing of gullies, management of public toilets and bathhouses, pest control and the disposal of the dead.
In the urban areas, a regular workforce of about 5 190 is employed in cleansing duties. The cleansing force uses a fleet of 378 specialised vehicles which include refuse collection vehicles, street-washers, mechanical sweepers, nightsoil collectors and gully emptiers. All streets are swept at least once daily, either mechanically or manually, while busier thoroughfares are swept from four to eight times a day. Streets are also hosed down regularly. A daily refuse collection service is provided and about 2 800 tonnes of refuse and junk are collected every day. A free nightsoil collection service is also provided in those areas which do not have a water-borne sewage disposal system.
The Keep Hong Kong Clean committees of the Urban Council and the Regional Council jointly implemented a six-phase operation programme covering block-to-block cleansing, clean-up of beaches, competitions among schools, clean-up of countryside, clean your home, and clean up of squatter areas. A tree-planting programme was also incorporated into the operation programme. In addition to education and publicity, community involvement and law enforcement remained the major tactic against littering. During the year, 36 514 people were fined $7,718,800 for littering offences.
In the Regional Council area, regular cleansing duties are mainly carried out by a workforce of 3 500 and a specialised fleet of 200 vehicles, with the exception of street sweeping in Shek Wu Hui and Luen Wo Hui in the North District which is being carried out by contract labour.
The waste collection service collects an average of 1 300 tonnes of refuse and junk every day. Law enforcement remained the major tactic in combating indiscriminate littering and in 1987, 8 368 people were convicted of litter offences in the Regional Council area.
Controls
In maintaining and improving standards of hygiene through the enforcement of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation, health inspectors of the Urban Services and the Regional Services departments regularly inspect licensed and permitted premises, common parts of residential and commercial buildings, construction and vacant sites and squatter areas. They also carry out inspections to deal with complaints on sanitation and vermin infestation. Both departments also work closely with the staff of the Medical and Health Department in the investigation and control of food poisoning outbreaks and infectious diseases.
Pest control staff continued with the integrated programmes to control rodents, mosquitoes, flies and other public health pests. Measures taken included environmental improvement, health education, eradication of breeding places, use of pesticides and law enforcement. The Pest Control Advisory Section of the Municipal Services Branch continued to provide technical support to the two departments.
Manned by the health inspectorate, the Health Education Unit continued to promote behaviour conducive to better public health, and better use of public health services. Programmes were carefully designed to meet the needs of different groups. During the year, seven major territory-wide programmes were organised, including a painting and project competition for school children, a food hygiene campaign for the food trade, a hygiene competition for restaurants, and several other publicity campaigns for the general public to