Firing practice will take place at two military sites, namely the San Wai/Tai Ling Firing Range and the Tsing Shan Firing Range, next month (November). Red flags or red lamps will be hoisted at the firing areas before … read more
Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible: Here is an item of interest to swimmers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced toda… read more
Hong Kong swimmers Wong Hon-yin and Cheong Sui-kei today (October 24) made further achievement by winning a gold and silver medal in the Men’s and Women’s S14 100m Backstroke event respectively at the 11th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 8th National Special Olympic Games of the People’s Republic of China held in Shaanxi Province. It is really amazing that both athletes won their second medal in swimming events at this Games. The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Caspar Tsui, extends congratulations to both athletes and their team.
Mr Tsui said, “Wong Hon-yin and Cheong Sui-kei persevered and gave full play to their skills in the competitions, fully demonstrating the can-do spirit of Hong Kong athletes.” read more
The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about a work accident that happened at a construction site in Tseung Kwan O this morning (October 24), in which a female worker while working fell through a floor opening from 1M/F to 1/F of a building under construction. The worker was certified dead in hospital. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker in the accident and expresses its deepest sympathy to the victim’s family.
The LD spokesperson said, “We commenced immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and issued suspension notices to the contractors involved to suspend any work conducted at or in the vicinity of all the floor openings of the site. The contractors cannot resume the work until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken.
The spokesman added, “We will complete investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation.”
The general duty provisions of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, safe plant and safe systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the above provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for six months.
In regard to today’s accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers’ unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent recurrence of similar accidents.
The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees’ compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, to assist family members of the deceased to claim employees’ compensation and to closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.
For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers. read more
The COVID-19 Vaccination Programme has been implemented for 241 days since February 26, 2021. So far, about 8 978 900 doses of vaccines have been administered under the Vaccination Programme. Detail… read more