As the Lunar New Year approaches, industrial employers and employees are reminded to be aware of safety, the Labour Department says.

The management and workers should take precautionary measures to ensure safety and health at work before resuming industrial activities.

This is particularly important when potentially hazardous work processes, machinery and equipment are involved.

Precautions before the holiday include measures to ensure that the power for all plant and machinery is turned off, chemicals properly stored, naked flames extinguished, gas welding cylinders shut down and temporary structures secured.

As for construction sites, after the holiday, all scaffolds, working platforms, lifting appliances and excavations should be inspected by competent people before use.

All plant and equipment for gas welding or flame-cutting operations, including ventilation systems, gas-supply systems, safety devices and personal protective equipment should be checked to ensure that they are in good working condition.

The proprietor should assign people with appropriate training and experience to undertake the checking.

Safety inspection blitz cracks down on unsafe procedures

The Labour Department has inspected about 4,700 construction sites over the past two months in a major crackdown on unsafe procedures.

The blitz has focused on high-risk work practices, such as working at height, lifting operations and fire hazards.

The operation, which also covered new buildings and ongoing building renovation works, resulted in 173 summonses being issued to contractors and proprietors for breaches of safety regulations.

Most of them were related to offences involving working at height, lifting operations and use of personal protective equipment.

The department also issued eight suspension notices to stop activities posing immediate hazards, and 122 improvement notices requiring rectification of potentially dangerous activities.

Employers, contractors reminded of their liabilities

Permanent Secretary for Economic Development & Labour Matthew Cheung said today the blitz was part of the department's vigorous enforcement work to ensure site safety and compliance with safety laws.

"We also took the opportunity to remind employers and contractors of their liabilities under the law and to brief them on the relevant requirements under existing safety legislation," he added,

The number of industrial accidents in the construction industry plunged 68% to 6,215 in 2002 from 19,532 in 1998, while the accident rate per 1,000 workers also dipped more than 65% to 85.2 from 247.9  in the same period.