XN000022-1995-05-10 — Page 64

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The incidents referred to provided a salutary reminder to all concerned, including Government departments, of the importance of maintaining credible and reliable measures to control and monitor the import, handling and storage of dangerous materials, and the regular review of these measures. To this end the Fire Services Department (FSD), the Royal Hong Kong Police (RHKP), the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) and the Kowloon Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) hold regular meetings to discuss station safety precautions and emergency response procedures. Since the underground railway gas incident that occurred in Japan, meetings have also been held between the FSD, RHKP, MTRC and KCRC on enhancing operational procedures to deal with such an incident. Joint exercises are conducted on a regular basis to test responses to emergency situations. The next such exercises will be held in June and July of this year.

As regards educational establishments, every such establishment that has a laboratory is required to have a code of safe laboratory practice. The Education Department arranges laboratory safety training for teachers who are new to laboratory work. Principals of schools are also required by the Education Regulations to appoint a senior staff member, who has adequate knowledge of safety measures relating to the chemicals stored in the laboratory, to take charge of the laboratory and the chemicals stored therein. The Education Department reviews these measures annually; following a recent incident they have been reviewed again. The department has just issued an updated edition of its annual circular on laboratory safety.

Laboratories in government schools are subject to safety inspections by the Education Department every four years. Laboratories in private schools, which are not usually situated in dedicated school buildings, are inspected annually.

Universities appoint, at

appoint, at a senior level, Safety Officers whose responsibilities include the safe operation of laboratories. These Safety Officers are assisted in their duties by expert personnel with relevant training and experience. The universities have themselves established a Tertiary Institutions Safety Advisory Group, which oversees safety measures, including those in laboratories. Since the accident at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, a review of university laboratory safety has been set in progress by the Secretary for Education and Manpower. The review will cover both regulatory and procedural aspects.

End/Wednesday, May 10, 1995