ENG-2007 — Page 190

142 | Employment

employers are required to pay their passage from and to their places of origin. Employers must also meet the requirements on income and assets.

The demand for foreign domestic helpers has increased over the past three decades. At the end of 2007, there were 245 531 such helpers in Hong Kong, an increase of 5.5 per cent over the 232 781 in 2006. About 50.3 per cent were from the Philippines and 46.6 per cent from Indonesia.

Occupational Safety and Health

The Labour Department strives to improve safety and health at the workplace through legislation, law enforcement, promotion, education and training. Safety at work in Hong Kong has improved significantly as a result of the concerted effort of all parties concerned, including employers, employees, contractors, safety practitioners and the Government.

In 2007, the number of occupational injuries stood at 43 979, representing a drop of 30.8 per cent from 63 526 in 1998. The number of industrial accidents also fell from 43 034 in 1998 to 16 117 in 2007, down by 62.5 per cent. In the construction industry, the number of accidents recorded a substantial decrease of 84.5 per cent from 19 588 in 1998 to 3 042 in 2007. During the year, a total of 177 occupational disease cases were confirmed, representing a drop of 33 per cent from 264 in 2006 and a cumulative fall of 81 per cent from the peak of 948 cases in 1998. The most common occupational diseases were silicosis, occupational deafness and tenosynovitis (inflammation of a tendon sheath) of the hand or forearm.

Enforcement

The Labour Department focuses its inspections on high-risk industries and closely monitors organisations with poor safety records. Apart from routine inspections, the department also conducts special enforcement campaigns targeting accident-prone industries and work situations such as those involving the use of tower cranes. Others closely watched include mobile plants, construction, building repair and maintenance, container handling and storage, wholesale and retail, catering, working-at-height, use of ladders, fire prevention and use of chemicals. A total of 1 448 improvement notices were issued and 171 suspension notices were served on companies and organisations in 2007, requiring them to remove imminent risks to life and limb at their workplaces. There were 2 073 prosecutions under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance heard in court. The conviction rate was 85.4 per cent and fines totalled more than $16 million.

In 2007, the Labour Department stepped up inspections of drainage works to ensure drainage workers were protected from gas poisoning. Altogether, 46 warnings and four improvement notices were issued and two prosecutions initiated.

Following the collapse of a tower crane in July in which two workers were killed, the department stepped up enforcement action to prevent similar accidents. An intensive operation was carried out in the same month to ensure such appliances were used properly, as well as maintained, installed, modified and dismantled correctly. As a result of the operation, 10 suspension/improvement notices were