EMPLOYMENT
given to managements on various safety and health aspects, including the adoption of safe working practices and layout of new factories to achieve a better working environment. The inspectorate also investigates industrial accidents and dangerous occurrences.
The Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Amendment) Ordinance 1989 came into operation in December 1990. It imposes a general responsibility on employers and employees for safety and health at work and introduces custodial sentences for serious offences.
During the year, the Safety Programme Promotion Unit helped industry develop a system of self-regulation for the promotion of in-plant safety and health. The unit assisted management and workers to assess the hazards at work and to develop and improve their in-plant safety and health programmes. Guidance materials were published regularly to explain the principles and technical aspects of self-regulation. The unit also assisted in organising seminars, safety training courses and other activities. A three-day Symposium on Safety and Health Management - Safety Programme Promotion was held in May.
The Factory Inspectorate placed emphasis on the regulatory activities in high-risk areas of factories and construction sites. Special enforcement campaigns were launched in the year to promote machinery safety, fire prevention and construction safety. During these campaigns, 17 769 factories and 630 construction sites were inspected, and 870 summonses taken out.
Throughout the year, courses were conducted in the Factory Inspectorate's Industrial Safety Training Centre for workers, supervisors and managers from various industries. Safety talks were organised for teachers and students of technical institutes, while special talks were arranged with the Education Department as part of the summer job safety promotion activities. The centre also gave talks on safety management to the medical and engineering students of the University of Hong Kong and business students in post-secondary institutions. In collaboration with the Hong Kong Polytechnic, the centre continued to organise two evening courses leading to the award of a Certificate of Proficiency in Industrial Safety, and one evening course leading to the award of a Certi- ficate of Proficiency in Advanced Industrial Safety. The Construction Industry Training Authority was also assisted in running training courses for safety officers and supervisors.
The Factory Inspectorate, in conjunction with the Information Services Department, continued its publicity programme for the promotion of industrial safety and health through the mass media and other means. Three large-scale symposia on safety and health management were held in January, November and December respectively on the subjects of general duties of employers and employees at work, safety education and information, and Japanese experience in industrial safety. Three industrial safety exhibitions, two held in March and one in September, were organised to depict respectively the new legislation on employers' and employees' general duties for safety and health at work, machinery safety and industrial safety equipment.
In the second half of the year, a Site Safety Award Scheme was organised jointly by the Factory Inspectorate, Housing Department and Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union to promote safety and health on construction sites of the Hong Kong Housing Authority.
The Pressure Equipment Division of the Labour Department administers the Boilers and Pressure Vessels Ordinance and the Gasholders Examination Ordinance to ensure the safe use and operation of all equipment covered by the two ordinances.
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