ENG-2019 — Page 163

7

Employment

beverage services. Enforcement is strengthened in the summer to protect outdoor workers from heatstroke.

In 2019, the department served 3,987 improvement notices on companies and other organisations, urging them to improve safety conditions promptly, and 541 suspension notices to stop those work activities or the use of plant or substances that posed imminent risks of death or serious bodily injury to employees. The department secured 2,379 convictions, resulting in penalties totalling $21.33 million.

Promotion and Education

The Labour Department works with the Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC), other government departments, major trade associations and labour unions to raise awareness of occupational safety and health and the relevant laws among employers and employees in different industries. It produces work safety alerts in the form of animation videos to help the industry understand how some accidents happened and the preventive measures that can be taken to prevent recurrence. In 2019, the department held 2,046 courses, lectures and talks for over 65,400 employees.

The department also works with the OSHC, Construction Industry Council, employers' associations and workers' unions to promote the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders to various industries and to publicise heatstroke prevention at construction sites and other outdoor workplaces. In 2019, the department produced a new Announcement in the Public Interest to enhance awareness of reducing the health risks of standing at work.

Occupational Health Clinics

The department provides occupational health services to workers at its occupational health clinics in Kwun Tong and Fanling. It held 10,718 clinical consultations with workers in 2019.

Occupational Safety and Health Council

The council fosters awareness of safety and health at work through training, promotion, consultancy, research and information services. It organised over 2,000 courses for nearly 60,000 trainees in 2019.

The council works with government departments to conduct the Joyful@Healthy Workplace' campaign to raise awareness of mental health. During the year, it rolled out a pilot scheme with the Labour Department, providing property management companies with working platforms for free use by their contractors and workers to enhance work-at-height safety.

Sponsorship schemes offer small and medium enterprises technical advice and financial support to buy safety equipment.

Websites

Census and Statistics Department: www.censtatd.gov.hk

Continuing Education Fund: www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/cef

Employees Retraining Board: www.erb.org

121