Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn today officiated at the kick-off ceremony of Construction Safety Week, themed "Smart & Care, Safety Beyond Compare", which runs from today until Friday.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Linn explained the principles for promoting site safety with the three virtues of "wisdom, humanity and courage" mentioned in the Analects of Confucius.

On wisdom, she said that the Government has been committed to promoting the application of innovative technologies and smart site safety in recent years, while vigorously driving the full adoption of the Smart Site Safety System (4S) to bring revolutionary changes to the construction industry.

She added that over 600 public and private construction sites have been awarded the 4S label so far.

As for humanity, Ms Linn pointed out that the industry must uphold a caring spirit that is people oriented, caring for the welfare of site personnel and creating a safer working environment and better development opportunities for them to give workers and their family members peace of mind.

Concerning courage, she emphasised that site safety is everyone's responsibility, adding that industry stakeholders should actively fulfil their safety responsibilities, and nurture a positive and strong culture of site safety, demonstrating the courage to make commitments and rectifications. 

A conference was held after the ceremony, at which experts and project teams shared their experiences in adopting the 4S, uplifting site safety and nurturing a caring culture. An exhibition on the 4S was also held at the venue.

Construction Safety Week is co-organised by the Development Bureau and the Construction Industry Council.

The week’s array of events include site visits and the award presentation ceremony of the 31st Considerate Contractors Site Award Scheme.