Statistics
Occupational Injuries
The number of occupational injuries in all workplaces in 2004 stood at 44 025, an increase of 4.8 per cent over 2003, while the injury rate per 1 000 employees increased slightly from 17.7 to 18.1, or 2.6 per cent. However, compared with 2002, the number of occupational injuries fell by 6.4 per cent and the injury rate dropped by 5.7 per cent.
Accidents in the Construction Industry
The safety performance of the high-risk construction industry continued to improve, although it still had the highest number of fatalities and accident rate among all industries. The number of industrial accidents in the construction industry. decreased from 4 367 in 2003 to 3 833 in 2004, down by 12.2 per cent. The accident rate per 1 000 workers dropped from 68.1 in 2003 to 60.3 in 2004, a decrease of 11.4 per cent. Compared with 2002, the number of accidents showed a hefty drop of 38.6 per cent while the injury rate went down by 29.2 per cent.
Occupational Diseases
In 2004, a total of 251 occupational disease cases were confirmed, representing a 2.7 per cent fall from 2003. The most common occupational diseases were silicosis, occupational deafness, tenosynovitis of hand and forearm and tuberculosis.
Legislative Improvements
In 2004, a number of legislative improvements were brought into effect to enhance occupational safety and health of our workforce. The Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Officers and Safety Supervisors) (Amendment) Regulation, extending coverage to the container handling industry and enhancing the qualification requirements of registered safety officers, came into full effect on January 2, 2004. The Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Gas Welding and Flame Cutting) Regulation was brought into full effect on March 1, 2004. The regulation requires workers engaged in gas welding and flame cutting to receive safety training.
Enforcement
On law enforcement, the Labour Department focuses its inspections on high-risk or accident-prone industries and closely monitors organisations with poor safety records. Improvement notices or suspension notices are issued when necessary to secure a speedy rectification of irregularities, or to remove imminent risks to lives and limbs. In 2004, 139 suspension notices and 1 416 improvement notices were issued. The department also handled 2 105 prosecutions against employers, contractors and proprietors breaching the occupational safety and health legislation. The conviction rate was 85.8 per cent and fines totalled more than $19 million.
Special Enforcement Campaigns
The Labour Department mounts special enforcement campaigns targeting at high-risk processes, including working-at-height, scaffolding safety, work in confined spaces, fire and chemical safety, operating lifting appliances, and cargo and
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