Occupational safety and health training courses open for applications
The Occupational Safety and Health Training Centre of the Labour Department (LD) will launch a wide range of occupational safety and health training courses from April to June in 2026. The courses aim to enhance the working population's awareness of occupational safety and health, as well as their understanding of the legal requirements and standards stipulated in occupational safety and health regulations.
The training courses cover a wide range of topics, namely:
Major Safety and Health Legislation related to Industrial Accident Prevention and Their Latest Amendments
Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation and Safety Inspection Programme and Accident/Incident Investigation
Major Safety Legislation related to Accident Prevention on Work in Confined Spaces and other Safety Legislation related to Risk Assessment
Major Safety Legislation related to Accident Prevention in Logistics Industry (including Use of Tail Lifts) and the latest revised Guidance Notes on Prevention of Trapping Hazard of Tail Lifts
Safety Legislation for Working in times of Inclement Weather and Hot Environment
Major Safety Legislation related to Accident Prevention on Electrical Work on Construction Sites and Major Safety Legislation related to Accident Prevention on Demolition Work on Construction Sites
A Brief Introduction to Safety Legislation and Codes of Practice related to Construction Work (including Renovation, Maintenance, Alteration and Addition Works)
Major Safety Legislation related to Accident Prevention on Working at Height (including Truss-out Bamboo Scaffolds and Suspended Working Platforms) and Codes of Practice on Scaffolds and Suspended Working Platforms (including the latest revised Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety)
Major Safety Legislation related to Accident Prevention on Lifting Work (including Tower and Mobile Cranes) and Codes of Practice for Safe Use of Tower and Mobile Cranes
Major Safety Legislation related to Accident Prevention on Loadshifting Machinery Operations (including fork-lift truck) and Safe Use of Mobile Elevating Work Platform and the latest revised Guidance Notes on Safe Use of Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (new course)
Major Safety Legislation and Codes of Practice related to Fire Safety at Construction Sites (new course)
Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance and Regulation (with one class to be conducted in English)
Safety Legislation for Manual Handling Operations
Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Dangerous Substances) Legislation
Health Hints on the Use of Computer and More Exercise Smart Work
Occupational Stress and Happy Workplace
First Aid in the Workplace
Strategies for the Prevention of Occupational Diseases and Work and Healthy Lifestyle
Unless otherwise specified, the courses will mainly be conducted in Cantonese at the LD's Occupational Safety and Health Training Centre, 13/F, KOLOUR Tsuen Wan I, 68 Chung On Street, Tsuen Wan. Enrolment is free.
Employers who wish to arrange for their employees to attend the courses can log in to the application website (www.oshtc.labour.gov.hk/wpas/?lang=en) or scan the QR code (see Annex) to learn about the course content and sign up for the courses. Interested employees can also enrol in the courses through the abovementioned channels on their own. For enquiries, please call 2940 7057.
Source: AI-found images
Online appointment for counter services for direct issue of Hong Kong Full Driving Licence to be fully implemented from March 16
The Transport Department (TD) today (March 2) announced that the full implementation of online appointment for counter services for applications for the direct issue of the Hong Kong Full Driving Licence ("direct issue") will be launched from March 16 with increased booking slots. Such counter services will also be extended to all four Licensing Offices to provide greater convenience to applicants and make better use of resources. The "Online Same-day Queue Ticket" arrangement will be cancelled on March 16.
Increasing processing capacity
Starting from March 16, the booking slots for "direct issue" counter services will be increased to 550 per working day, and the service will be expanded to all four Licensing Offices. To divert applicants more effectively, the new "direct issue" counter services at the Kowloon Licensing Office at Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, the Kwun Tong Licensing Office at Kowloon East Government Offices and the Sha Tin Licensing Office at Sha Tin Government Offices will be designated to process applications submitted with Mainland driving licences. The Hong Kong Licensing Office at United Centre, Admiralty, will continue to handle applications submitted with driving licences issued by all recognised countries or places (including Mainland).
Full implementation of online appointment to improve application procedures and user experience
From the same day, to ensure fair use of services by applicants in an orderly manner, all applicants must make an advance appointment for "direct issue" counter services via the designated online appointment booking system (ABS) (www.gov.hk/en/residents/transport/drivinglicense/diabs.htm) (open on March 10), and submit their applications at the designated Licensing Office according to the booked date and time. This will save queuing time and also improve crowd management. Same-day ticketing arrangement will be ceased on March 16. Applicants who have already secured an appointment for counter service via the ABS beforehand are not affected.
To allow applicants to make appointments for additional slots in an orderly manner, the TD will launch the enhanced ABS on March 10, and open new booking slots from March 16 to April 10 (four weeks in total) in batches from March 10 to 13. The detailed arrangements are as follows:
Time
New appointment slots open for booking
5pm, March 10
March 16 to March 20
5pm, March 11
March 23 to March 27
5pm, March 12
March 30 to April 2
5pm, March 13
April 8 to April 10
Starting March 16, the system will open up available booking slots in the coming four weeks for booking, and the slots will be updated at 5pm on every working day.
Applicants are required to verify their identity when making a booking. Hong Kong identity card (HKIC) holders must log in using a registered "iAM Smart" account; while non-HKIC holders or those who have not registered an "iAM Smart" account must upload their identity document and driving licence as instructed by the system. All applicants have to provide an email address to receive the one-time password for verification. If any information provided or submitted is found to be untrue, the appointment will be cancelled and such quota will be released for booking by other applicants, enabling more effective system operation. The eligibility criteria, necessary documents and applicable vehicle classes of "direct issue" applications remain unchanged.
The enhanced online ABS has been integrated with various measures on security and online traffic management, including a human-machine verification mechanism and a virtual queue management solution. Such measures can detect and block automated programmes from snapping up bookings while regulating traffic as appropriate, thereby ensuring a smooth appointment booking process.
A spokesman for the TD said, "We will continue to process and verify each 'direct issue' application in a stringent manner. Applicants must submit sufficient, true and accurate supporting documents to prove that they fully meet the eligibility criteria stipulated under the law for their applications to be approved."
The TD will closely monitor the implementation of the new arrangements to ensure smooth system operation, and will put up notices at the Licensing Offices. The TD will also continue to actively explore the use of technology to further streamline the "direct issue" application procedures, with a view to providing greater convenience for applicants to submit applications.
Following the full implementation of online appointment for counter services, the 24-hour Appointment Booking Service at 3763 8080 will stop providing bookings for "direct issue" counter services concurrently.
The Transport Department (TD), Photo by Bastille Post
