Employers, contractors and employees should be aware of electrical safety at work during rainstorms
As the rainstorm warning has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and contractors that they should adopt necessary work arrangements and take suitable safety measures to protect the safety of their employees when they are carrying out electrical work or handling electrical plant.
A spokesman for the LD said today (July 10) that employers and contractors should avoid assigning employees to carry out electrical work (such as electric arc welding work) or handle electrical plant at places affected by rainstorms, and should refer to the "Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and 'Extreme Conditions'" and the "Guide on Safety at Work in times of Inclement Weather" issued by the LD.
Even if electrical work is carried out or electrical plant is handled at places not affected by a rainstorm, suitable safety measures must still be adopted to prevent an electric shock as the air would be more humid. Such measures include:
(i) Ensure that all live parts of an electrical installation are isolated from the power supply source and rendered dead, and the isolation from the power supply source must be maintained as long as electrical work is being carried out;
(ii) Before carrying out any electrical work or handling any electrical plant, cut off and lock out the power supply source, then test the circuit concerned to confirm that it is dead and display suitable warning notices, and issue a work permit thereafter;
(iii) Ensure that protective devices (such as suitable and adequate fuses and circuit breakers) for the electrical installations or electrical plant have been installed and maintained in good working order, and portable electric tools must be double-insulated or properly earthed;
(iv) Provide suitable personal protective equipment such as insulating gloves and insulating mats for employees; and
(v) If live electrical work is unavoidable, a comprehensive risk assessment should be conducted by a competent person and the appropriate safety precautions should be taken to remove or properly control the electrical hazards involved before such work can proceed.
In addition, employees should co-operate with the employer or contractor to follow the safety instructions and use the safety equipment provided.
The LD has published guidebooks and leaflets on electrical work safety. These safety publications are available free from divisional offices of the department or can be downloaded from its website (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/content2_8.htm).
Should there be any questions about occupational safety and health matters, please contact the Occupational Safety Officer of the LD at 2559 2297.
Property owner fined $180,000 in total for removal of structural wall without approval
A property owner was fined $180,000 in total at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts today (December 29), for contravention of the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) (BO).
The case involved an owner who knowingly carried out removal works of part of a structural wall in a unit at The Capitol, Lohas Park, between 2022 and 2023 without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), thereby contravening section 40(1AA) of the BO. Moreover, the removal of part of the structural wall was carried out in such a manner as was likely to cause a risk of injury to a person, or damage to a property, thereby contravening section 40(2B)(b) of the BO. Therefore, the BD instigated prosecution action against the owner under the BO in May last year. The owner was convicted and fined $180,000 in total at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Court today.
The Buildings Department (BD), Photo source: reference image
The interior designer and contractor responsible for renovating the unit in question carried out the works without prior approval or consent from the BD, thereby contravening section 40(1AA) of the BO. Furthermore, the contractor removed part of the structural wall in such a way that it posed a risk of injury to persons or damage to property, thereby contravening section 40(2B)(b) of the BO. They were also prosecuted by the BD and were convicted and fined $60,000 and $200,000 respectively in June this year.
A spokesman for the BD said that any person who intends to carry out alteration and addition works should consult building professionals for advice, including the feasibility of the works, and where necessary, apply for approval and consent from the BD to ensure building safety and compliance with the BO. Building professionals and contractors are required to carefully examine the approved plans and other relevant documents to observe the relevant requirements under the BO, and to ascertain whether prior approval from the BD should be obtained before commencement of works to ensure the safety of the occupants and the structural safety of the building.
Pursuant to section 40(1AA) of the BO, any person who knowingly contravenes section 14(1) of the BO (i.e. commences or carries out any building works without having first obtained approval and consent from the BD) shall be guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a fine of $400,000 and to imprisonment for two years, and a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.
Pursuant to section 40(2B)(b) of the BO, any person directly concerned with the relevant building works, who carries out or authorises or permits such works to be carried out, in such manner that it is likely to cause a risk of injury to any person or damage to any property, shall be guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a fine of $1,000,000 and to imprisonment for three years.
The Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts, the Kwun Tong Law Courts Building
