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(b)
The Labour Department will run a safety campaign on Summer Job Safety in July and August 1995. This will target machinery and chemical safety. It will run a second safety campaign in October and November 1995 which will target fire and chemical safety. During these campaigns, the Department's factory inspectors will visit factories and construction sites to give advice and distribute publications on chemical safety. They will, as necessary, initiate legal action against dangerous practices. The Department has also produced an Announcement of Public Interest which will be shown on television.
The Labour Department runs several safety courses in its Industrial Safety Training Centre which cover general chemical safety. These courses include topics such as safety legislation in accident prevention, safety standards on construction sites, fire precautions in work places and health-related safety legislation. Over the past 12 months, the Centre has run 13 classes on the Dangerous Goods Regulations and 14 more classes will be run in the second half of 1995. In addition, the Department organises seminars in co-operation with workers' associations. In the past 12 months, five seminars on chemical safety have been conducted. These will continue to be organised in the future.
The Occupational Health and Safety Council also conducts a range of courses relating to chemical safety. These include vocational topics on basic occupational health knowledge and safety in the electronics industry, as well as certificate courses in the management of dangerous goods and in laboratory safety.
Under the Hong Kong Education Regulations, school supervisors and principals must ensure that chemicals are properly stored in schools and used under the strict guidance and supervision of qualified teachers. The Education Department issues a school circular on laboratory safety to schools every September. Science subject inspectors conduct regular inspections to monitor schools' compliance. There are established guidelines and codes of practices on laboratory and health safety in UGC-funded institutions. The institutions must comply with statutory requirements concerning the storage, use and disposal of dangerous chemicals. The institutions employ safety officers to implement, monitor and advise on their laboratory safety policies and procedures, and to ensure that statutory requirements are met. The institutions have established a Tertiary Institutions Safety Advisory Group to share experiences in the health and safety fields. This also oversees the development of safety standards in the academic environment, including risk management, safe working practices and environmental protection.
End/Wednesday, July 5, 1995