Promotional activities to improve occupational safety and health
The Labour Department always works together with other government departments, related organizations and the private sector to promote occupational safety and health in the community. The following are some of the promotional activities that have been carried out recently.
Safety Icon
To project a vivid and clear image of occupational safety and health, a safety icon was introduced on 3 October 1999. The icon comprises four components - eye, hand, heart and cross. Each part represents the value of life. All of them represent different aspects of accident prevention:
"Eye" projects knowledge. It serves to remind us that a worker needs to know what causes an accident and how he can prevent it;
"Hand" is synonymous with practice and, as the saying goes, "practice makes perfect". The "hand" symbolises employers and employees taking a hands-on approach and continuing to do what is right to make a workplace safer and healthier;
"Heart" represents care - care for one's fellow workers as well as putting his family's worries about his own safety at ease. Life is irreplaceable and it is thus a responsibility to oneself to take personal health and safety seriously; and
The "cross" in the centre subtly reminds everyone of the attainment of occupational safety and health and peace of mind.
Since the target audience for this icon is the entire working population of Hong Kong, the various symbols in different colours are used to represent people from all walks of life and various occupations.
A series of promotional materials, including banners, T-shirts and folders, was also developed to create a comprehensive system for the new icon. It was thought that the use of dynamic graphics would add fun and energy to the icon.
Organizations in Hong Kong are strongly urged to support the cause and actively make use of the icon at the workplace. The icon can be downloaded from the websites of both the Labour Department ( www.info.gov.hk/labour/new/content.htm) and the Occupational Safety and Health Council.
Safety Banners Campaign
In conjunction with the launching of the safety icon, a territory-wide construction safety banner campaign was also launched on 3 October 1999. The campaign aims to encourage everyone on site to accept safety as a way of life by displaying large banners with safety slogans at construction sites.
Four themes have been chosen for the banner drive:
- management and site staff should have the same vision and will to prevent accidents;
- protect yourself: wear your hard hat and safety boots, and use your brain;
- carry your "green card" and work safely;
- work safely and put your family's worries to rest.
Under the campaign, large banners carrying safety messages were produced in bulk, for subscription by all contractors in the territory. Contractors could order the banners with the logos of the nine organizers printed on them, or they could place a special order with their company's own logo on them.
Safety Award Scheme on Good Housekeeping for the Construction Industry
The Safety Award Scheme on Good Housekeeping for the Construction Industry was initiated on 23 November 1999. The objectives of the scheme are to encourage the adoption of good housekeeping practices on construction sites with a view to reducing accidents and selecting good performers for recognition awards.
Entries for the site-based awards were divided into six categories: Building Sites (Public Sector); Building Sites (Private Sector); Civil Engineering Sites; Alteration and Addition Work Sites; Building sites (Sub-contractors); and Civil Engineering Sites (Sub-contractors). Construction sites demonstrating good housekeeping practices will be awarded Gold, Silver, Bronze and Meritorious prizes in each category. In addition, there are also awards for safety teams and safety workers.
The assessment criteria cover such aspects of good housekeeping as overall site layout; passageways, roadways and exits; stacking and storage of materials, equipment, hand tools and apparatus; control and disposal of wastes and debris; use of safety signs, etc.
The award presentation ceremony of the scheme is scheduled to be held in March 2000.
Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation
The Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation (the Regulation) was approved by the Legislative Council on 24 November 1999. The Regulation is to implement a recommendation contained in a Consultation Paper published by the Government, its Review of Industrial Safety in Hong Kong, in 1995. The Review concluded that for Hong Kong to achieve high standards of safety and health at work, enterprises must embrace self-regulation and safety management. The Review also recommended that the Government should provide a framework within which self-regulation would be achieved through a company system of safety management.
Under the Regulation, the adoption of safety management system is mandatory in certain industrial undertakings, such as construction sites, shipyards, factories, etc. Moreover, the proprietors and contractors concerned are required to carry out safety audits or safety reviews of their safety management system.
A grace period of 12 months will be applied before the Regulation comes into effect. This allows time for the Government to launch related education and promotion campaigns, for the affected proprietors and contractors to understand the new legislation and for them, as well as the training bodies for safety auditors and safety review officers, to make the necessary preparation. The Labour Department also undertakes to publish a code of practice, guidance notes and information leaflets to assist duty-holders in complying with the new requirement.
Sri Lanka
National Occupational Health and Safety Week
The third annual National Occupational Health and Safety Week was held on 11-15 October 1999. The activities of this event were organized and coordinated by the Division of Occupational Hygiene of the Department of Labour.
Four awareness seminars on occupational safety and health (OSH) were held at the national level. One seminar, intended for industrial and commercial establishments, was organized jointly with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The second seminar, designed for the food processing industry, was arranged jointly with the Food Processors Association. The third seminar, held in the Central Province, was organized jointly with the District Industrial Safety Division in Kandy. The Employers' Federation of Ceylon organized the fourth seminar. All these seminars were well attended.
A full-page newspaper supplement was published to mark the OHS week. Meant for the benefit of employers and employees alike, the supplement contained technical information on OSH. Leaflets promoting OSH and the OHS week were also distributed.
A discussion on good OSH systems and practices, with a panel made up of the CEOs of three leading enterprises, was broadcast over the national television. The discussion was conducted by the Deputy Commissioner of Labour in charge of occupational health issues.
Many enterprises arranged various activities at their respective workplaces. These activities included poster displays, good housekeeping and spot hazard competitions, drills, lectures etc. The week's activities ended with presentation of the national safety awards to the nation's safest workplaces.
National Safety Awards
The winners of the National Safety Award '99 were presented with their prizes on 26 October, under the distinguished patronage of the Honorable Minister of Labour and the Honorable Minister of Industrial Development. Held for the third consecutive year, this contest - organized by the Department of Labour and the Employees Trust Fund Board - was developed and is sponsored by Eagle Insurance Company.
National Safety Award, the Runner-up Award and the Certificate of Merit were granted for three categories of workplaces - large, medium and small, the classification being based on the number of workers. In order to encourage more participation, this year, alongside the national awards, winners were selected at provincial level as well. This competition was designed not only for selecting the safest workplace but also to educate employers on occupational safety and health (OSH) issues. This educational aim was achieved by including various legal requirements and questions concerning good OSH practices in the questionnaire. The questionnaire contained 74 questions on OSH organization and practices. The panel of experts who visited the factories followed up their visit by sending the respective factories a report that contained recommendations and advice on improvements.
The National Safety Award recipient in the large enterprise category was a leisure wear and lingerie manufacturer employing 1,400 workers. The company was committed to safety at all levels, promoting a corporate culture where risk management is made a priority that is everyone's responsibility.
In the medium-sized category, the National Safety Award winner was an ice cream manufacturing plant with a workforce of 121 people. The safety manager in this organization was authorized to stop any activity that violates safety procedures.
A factory employing 48 workers was the National Safety Award recipient in the small-sized category. The company staff had worked 300,000 man-hours without a single accident causing loss of working time. The company has put in place essential guidelines called the "5 musts" where safety heads the list.
The presentations were made at a colourful and well-attended ceremony that was held at the Colombo Hilton Hotel.
Dr. Ranjith De Alwis
Deputy Commissioner of Labour
Some 600,000 lives would be saved every year if available safety practices and appropriate information were used
Every year 250 million accidents occur causing absence from work, or 685,000 every day or 475 every minute, 8 every second
3,000 people killed by work every day, 2 every minute - more than ever before