ENG-2004 — Page 275

Land, Public Works and Utilities | 229

The momentum in improving the safety performance at construction sites. continues. The accident rate for public works contracts in 2004 was 19.1 accidents per thousand workers per year, a slight decrease of six per cent when compared with that of 2003. To strengthen safe practice in construction, seven public works projects have been chosen to implement the construction design management concept at project design stage to systematically formalise and document the risk control measures for the hazards and impacts related to project construction and maintenance. More public works projects will be included for the implementation of the construction design and management. The Pay for Safety and Environment Scheme is bearing fruits in improving the environmental performance of public works sites, and an enhanced specification is being prepared for further abating air, noise. and waste water pollution associated with public works.

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The Government, working in close partnership with the Provisional Construction Industry Coordination Board, has achieved notable progress on recommendations made by the Construction Industry Review Committee. To strengthen communications with key stakeholders, the Board has continued to publicise its latest achievements through various channels and circulated quarterly leaflet to all interested parties complementing information at its website (www.pcicb.gov.hk).

New legislation proposing to establish the Construction Industry Council as an umbrella organisation with statutory powers to exercise self-regulation and take ownership of industry reforms is being scrutinised by the Legislative Council.

The first phase of the voluntary subcontractor registration scheme (VSRS) launched in November 2003 has received an encouraging response. By the end of 2004, some 2 200 applications for registration were received and about 1 400 cases approved. The Environment, Transport and Works Bureau (ETWB) also introduced a contractual condition requiring public works contractors and their subcontractors to employ subcontractors registered under the VSRS. This new requirement will not only lend support to the scheme, but will also be useful in monitoring the performance of domestic subcontractors under public works contracts. Major clients and main contractors have already pledged similar support for the VSRS.

The registration authority for the construction workers registration system was established in September 2004 under the Construction Workers Registration Ordinance and preparatory work for commencement of registration is in progress. All construction workers must be registered before they can work on construction sites. This will improve the quality of construction works, foster a quality culture in the construction industry and raise the status of construction workers through statutory recognition of their skill levels. It will also help combat the hiring of illegal workers and resolve wage disputes between contractors and workers, and, in the long run, will provide more reliable labour supply data to facilitate manpower planning and training.

The ETWB has been proactively encouraging the exchange of professional and management knowledge, strengthening ties and cooperation among construction