Labour Department highly concerned about fatal work accident that happened in Ho Man Tin today
The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about a fatal work accident that happened at a building in Ho Man Tin this morning (October 13), in which a male worker, while dismantling a bamboo scaffold at the external wallsof the building, fell from height to the ground. He was certified dead later in hospital. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker and expresses its deepest sympathy to his family.
The LD's spokesman said, "We commenced an immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and issued suspension notices to the contractors concerned, suspending the dismantling, alteration and use of the bamboo scaffold atthe external wallsof the building. The contractors cannot resume the work until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken."
The spokesman added, "We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation."
To prevent workers from falling from height while dismantling bamboo scaffolds at external walls of buildings, the LD reminds employers to take suitable safety measures, including providing every worker engaged in the work with a suitable safety harness that is attached continuously to a suitable and secure anchor point, an independent lifeline or a fall arresting system, and ensuringthe proper use of the safety equipment by the workers concerned throughout the work.
The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees.Those who contravene the relevant provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for two years on conviction on indictment; or $3 million and imprisonment for six months on summary conviction.
In regard to today's accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its mobile application "OSH 2.0", website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers' unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents.
The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees' compensation under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees' compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.
For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers.
SEE exchanges views on ecological conservation and various environmental issues with young people
The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, today (November 2) attended the Dialogue with the Secretary for Environment and Ecology session on the public day of the 19th Eco Expo Asia to exchange views on the beauty of Hong Kong's ecology and various environmental matters with some 400 young people from various schools and uniformed groups.
The event began with the screening of an extract of the documentary series "Enchanting China", produced by the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), in collaboration with the Center for Environmental Education and Communications of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, as well as "Picturesque Bays of Hong Kong", which is the first episode of the documentary series "Beautiful Hong Kong" produced by the EEB. The documentaries showcase the contributions and achievements made by the country and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in environmental protection and nature conservation.
Through the "Picturesque Bays of Hong Kong" documentary, Mr Tse highlighted that Hong Kong is not only a highly developed city, but is also committed to conserving the natural environment. He said that Hong Kong has a total of 25 country parks, the latest of which is Robin's Nest Country Park established this year. These country parks cover over 40 per cent of Hong Kong's land area together with 22 special areas. Hong Kong also possesses a designated internationally important wetland under the Ramsar Convention and the Hong Kong UNESCO World Geopark, etc. This proportion surpasses many cities with economic developments similar to Hong Kong, making it an important asset.
In terms of sea area, Hong Kong has a coastline of about 1 200 kilometres and a total sea area of more than 1 600 square kilometres. Although it only accounts for less than 1 per cent of the total sea area of the country, it has numerous beautiful bays and a quarter of the country's marine species. Hong Kong is home to over 80 species of marine stony corals, more than the total sum in the entire Caribbean Sea. The bird species here exceed 580, accounting for about one-third of the country's total.
Mr Tse said, "I hope that through the 'Picturesque Bays of Hong Kong' documentary, we can learn about the beauty of the place where we live, explore and, more importantly, cherish the beauty of Hong Kong's ecosystems and work together to help conserve nature."
Young people attending the event were very interested in various environmental topics, and many of them noted the increasing frequency of extreme weather and Hong Kong's endeavours to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 to combat climate change. Mr Tse said that carbon emissions in Hong Kong already peaked in 2014, and the current carbon emissions have been reduced by about a quarter from the peak. The per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong are one-fourth of those in the United States and six-tenths of those in the European Union, showing that Hong Kong compares well with other regions in carbon reduction. Nevertheless, achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 is still a great challenge. The Government is leading Hong Kong towards carbon neutrality through a range of measures, such as accelerating green and low-carbon transformation, promoting green transport and cultivating the local practice of waste reduction and recycling, as well as developing new energy sources and green scientific research industries.
Mr Tse said he hopes that through Eco Expo Asia, students can learn more about different environmental issues and integrate environmental concepts into their daily lives to practise low-carbon living, and lead Hong Kong towards a low-carbon future together.
Apart from the Dialogue with the Secretary for Environment and Ecology session, speakers from the Hong Kong Observatory, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the EPD, etc shared their environmental information and knowledge during the green seminars to raise public awareness of environmental protection.
The last day of Eco Expo Asia is a public day, which is open to all free of charge. This year's public day programme also includes guided tours, green workshops, a green market, green seminars and a free ride experience on a hydrogen fuel cell double-decker.
SEE exchanges views on ecological conservation and various environmental issues with young people Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
SEE exchanges views on ecological conservation and various environmental issues with young people Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
SEE exchanges views on ecological conservation and various environmental issues with young people Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
SEE exchanges views on ecological conservation and various environmental issues with young people Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases