Labour Department occupational safety officers will visit more than 100 container handling workplaces April 18 to 29 to promote safety measures required for the inspection of freight containers.

With two workers burned at Cha Kwo Ling Cargo Working Area earlier this month when they inspected freight containers laden with plastic waste, the department urged employers to take safety precautions.

Employers are responsible for establishing a safe system of work for the inspection of plastic waste in freight containers. They should conduct a risk assessment for this kind of inspection work. They should also take into account the hazards identified and evaluated in the assessment when developing the safe work system.

Employers are also responsible for providing the necessary safety information, instruction and training to the workers, and should supervise workers.

Safety measures required for the inspection of containers laden with plastic waste are governed by the General Duties provisions in the Occupational Safety & Health and the Factories & Industrial Undertakings Ordinances.

Employers can refer to 5 Steps to Risk Assessment and A Guide to the Factories & Industrial Undertakings Ordinance (Section 6A) General Duties of Proprietors when developing a safe system of work for inspecting freight containers laden with plastic waste. The publications are available here. For enquiries call 2717 1771.