Construction Safety Week (CSW) 2023, co-organised by the Development Bureau and the Construction Industry Council (CIC), is being held from today (August 28) to September 3. Under the theme of "United for a New Site Safety Chapter", an array of events will be held including the CSW Conference, a public exhibition, visits to construction sites with exemplary safety performance, the award presentation ceremony of the 29th Considerate Contractors Site Award Scheme and the CSW Carnival.
Speaking at the kick-off ceremony, the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said that the Government has taken into account the views of industry stakeholders to further enhance the site safety management system, and adopted a multipronged approach to step up site safety. She pointed out that the Government has required all public works contracts with contract sum exceeding $30 million to adopt the Smart Site Safety System and subsidised private works projects to adopt the system through the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund. At the same time, the Government will also promote the adoption of Design for Safety in the industry to reduce construction hazards at source. She called on the industry to continue to transform the culture of site safety with concerted efforts and further adopt the Smart Site Safety System and Design for Safety.
The Chairman of the CIC, Mr Thomas Ho, said that transforming the site safety culture was pivotal to improving site safety. He indicated that the CIC has rolled out a pilot scheme to promote a wider adoption of Design for Safety in the industry. He said he was glad to know that a number of developers have expressed interest in participating in the pilot scheme.
The CSW Conference commenced right after the kick-off ceremony. Experts and industry practitioners shared with the audience their experience in the adoption of the Smart Site Safety System, Design for Safety, innovation and technology, and data science to enhance site safety. An exhibition on the Smart Site Safety System was also held at the venue.
CSW, launched in 2012, aims to promote a zero-accident site environment and a caring environment in the construction industry. The campaign has received support from various sectors of the community including professional groups, organisations, trade associations and labour unions. Details of this year's CSW are available at www.safetyweek.hk.
Ends/Monday, August 28, 2023
Issued at HKT 17:30