ENG-2008 — Page 185

Employment | 137

Promoting safety culture is another of the council's key missions. In collaboration with stakeholders, the council launches campaigns tailored for different industries to stress the importance of safety in the workplace, particularly high-risk operations such as work-at-height and renovation works.

The council actively engages in research to study OSH problems faced by businesses and the community. This helps the council to develop strategies and directions to promote high safety and health standards at all workplaces more effectively.

It collaborated with the Consumer Council during the year to evaluate the safety standards of ladders available in the market.

The council maintains links with OSH organisations around the world to keep up-to-date with the latest practices and strategies adopted to protect the safety and health of people at workplaces. In December 2008, the council played host to the 16th Quadripartite Occupational Safety and Health Seminar which was attended by OSH experts from the Mainland, Taiwan, Macao and Hong Kong.

OSH culture is also being fostered in public housing estates, schools and care homes under the Safe Community Project. During the year, the council developed a 'Community Injury Surveillance System' to help schools, property management companies and other organisations, to formulate injury prevention programmes.

The council continues to provide small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with technical advice and financial support to help them improve OSH at their establishments and financial support for acquiring protective devices and work safety equipment.

Websites

Labour and Welfare Bureau: www.lwb.gov.hk

Education Bureau: www.edb.gov.hk

Security Bureau: www.sb.gov.hk

Labour Department: www.labour.gov.hk

Occupational Safety and Health Council: www.oshc.org.hk

Immigration Department: www.immd.gov.hk

Employees Retraining Board: www.erb.org