1 Lighthouse Club Annual Dinner Five Elements (WU Xing) of Construction Site Safety Mr. Conrad Wong JP President, Hong Kong Construction Association November.

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Lighthouse Club Annual Dinner

Five Elements (WU Xing)of Construction Site Safety

Mr. Conrad Wong JPPresident, Hong Kong Construction Association

November 5, 2008

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Natural phenomena can be classified into the Five Elements

1. Metal (金 ) 2. Wood (木 )3. Water (水 )4. Fire (火 )5. Earth (土 )

You will get a perfect health, if you get the balance of the Five Elements.The doctrine of five elements describes two Cycles of Balance, a generating or creation cycle and an overcoming or destruction cycle of interactions between the phases.

Five Safety Elements in Construction Industry1. Metal (金 ) = Safety hardware & procedure2. Wood (木 ) = Organization structure3. Water (水 ) = Money, contractual arrangement4. Fire (火 ) = Enforcement, penalty5. Earth (土 ) = People, training

We will get a perfect safety performance, if we get the balance of the 5 Basic Elements!

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Metal (金 ) – Equipment : Safety hardware to prevent accident

Usually starts with RiskRisk assessment : Power Operate Protective Safety Net is installed

on the top of the bending yard.• Provide a safe working environment for steel benders.• Featured a good housing-keeping system, clear identification of high

risk trades, provided sufficient safe working equipment and recorded a lower accident rate as well as fast construction progress.

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Metal (金 ) – Equipment : Safety hardware to prevent accident

Safety is an integral part of Project Management !!!

Control procedure for lifting precast elements.• Pilot project in using 60% by volume of precast concrete works• Weight of precast element ranged from 1.5 T to 9 T.• Top management expresses their concern in safe lifting operation

for precast elements.

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Control procedure for lifting precast elements

Metal (金 ) – Equipment : Safety hardware to prevent accident

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Wood (木 ) – Organization Structure

Quarterly Safety Steering Committee Meeting

Committee Member• Directorate level of all subsidiaries• General Manager• Contract Managers• Project Managers

ChairmanManaging Director

RMAA• Don’t know who they are?• Cannot enforce safety effectively!• A new legislation will be enacted

next year!

Site safety is our responsibility, not only the Safety Officer, not only the frontline Foreman, not only the Project Manager.

General Manager

Safety Officer routine reporting Line

Safety Officer

Project Manager Safety Manager

Safety Officer

Safety Officer

Safety Officer

Safety Officer

Safety Officer

Managing Director

• Design Manager• Plant Manager• Chief Estimator• Safety Managers

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Wood (木 ) – Organization StructureFor Yau Lee – Re-structure our safety organization• Team-up all the safety staff in different subsidiaries into one

single department! Mutual Objective ! More effective!

Yau Lee : Re-structure of Corporate Health & Safety Organization

Managing Director

Corporate Safety Manager

Safety Manager- All Subsidiaries

(HK & Overseas)

Safety Manager- All New Works Projects

(HK & Overseas)

Safety ManagerAll Building Renovation &

Fitting-out Projects(HK & Overseas)

Safety OfficersAssistant Safety Officers

Safety Supervisors

General Manager

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Water (水 )- Money, Contract Arrangement

• Daily Morning Exercise & Briefing at 8:00 am • Ensure the workers receive safety induction Training for all

workers before issuing a Smart Card• Smart Card Security Control System at the site entrance

– Prevention of arrears of wage– Ensure the workers receive wage from subcontractor on time

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Water (水 ) - Money, Contract Arrangement

• Reward to safe worker– Performance evaluation method to evaluate the safety

performance of workers every month. – Supermarket coupon as a minor incentive

• Reward to subcontractors– Priority tender– Performance recognition in annual dinner

• Reward to site supervisory team– Fixed amount rewards for good site safety

management• Reward to main contractor

– Pay for Safety Scheme : Approx. 2% of contract sum– Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme– Score Card for Assessment of Site Safety Performance– Good safety performance with better tender

opportunity.

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Fire (火 ) - Enforcement, Penalty

• Government – Development Bureau

• Panel of Enquiry• Warning Letter• Possible Suspension • Interviews with “Authorized Signatory” t

o have a investigation• Tender Evaluation of Works, Performa

nce Weighting, Preferential Tender Award System

• Independent Safety Audit Scheme

– Labour Department• Improvement Notice • Suspension Notice• 30+ sets of Subsidiary Regulations

• Main Contractor– Remove & suspend subcontractors with

poor safety performance.– Penalty for minor offense– Reduce tender opportunity against

contractors with poor safety performance

• Subcontractors– Legal Responsibility of Subcontractors– Proprietor may go to jail due to violation

of Ordinance– Voluntary registration system for

subcontractors

• Worker - Demerit Points system : Warning for any

unsafe practice or disregarding safe working procedures

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Earth (土 ) – People Training

Safety starts from Awareness• Mandatory Induction Safety Training

– Green Card• All workers required to attend a refresher

course every 3-year for revalidation.– Competence training

• Engaged in operating high-risk plant an machinery as well as in hazardous work process

• Persons operating cranes, working on suspended working platforms and in confined spaces, gas welding and flame cutting work.

• Contractual Safety Training– Silver Card

• Safety Training Course for Construction Workers of 10 high-risk trades

• Mandatory registration system for construction workers

Workers are becoming more specialized and professional !

1. Painter and Decorator2. Carpenter3. Demolition Worker (Buildin

g)4. Plumber5. Bar Bender and Fixer6. Plaster, Tiler7. Bamboo Scaffolder, Metal

Scaffolder8. Rigger / Metal Formwork Er

ector9. Curtain Wall Installer10. Lift Mechanic

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Earth (土 ) – People Training

• Guidance published by Labour Department, Buildings Department and Occupational Safety & Health Council

• Promotional and Publicity : Raising safety awareness and initiating positive attitude– Safe working cycle, morning briefing, Tool box talk, prior-to-work inspection on

equipment and electrical installation, hazard identification activity etc.

Safety Inspection by Management

Hazard Identification Activity

Specific Training牆身貼瓦工作程序

6.完成貼瓦後，須用使用清水將瓦仔清潔，刮走牆身多餘之坭油；並清理地上的多餘的泥油，以免日後翻手清潔。

有利建築

5.每一行瓦貼完成，須利用壓尺壓在牆身檢查是否平直，每塊瓦片之間有沒有起級不平，必須執妥才可進行另一行；

牆身貼瓦工作程序

2.貼瓦前先將牆身用清水沖洗，待稍乾後再將已調好之坭油掃上；白膠漿與英坭份量比例是1:1，再加入適量的水用電動攪拌器攪拌。

有利建築

1.鋪砌牆身瓦除必須分段進行；起瓦要由最底一行並用長木條承托，確保瓦路平直；

Safe Working Procedure

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Results

GOOD NEWS!• 5 nos. of maintenance contracts with

Zero Accident Record.• Now, we know how to improve. We

can make it happened.• We will not, should not, be complacent.

BAD NEWS!• The private sector has not taken up the

challenge!• It’s up to us. The people sitting in this

room promoting these proven measures to the rest of the industry.

• I believe 99.99% of the accidents can be prevented!

Yau Lee Construction Co., Ltd.Accidents Rate Per Thousand Workers

(1999-2008)

91

4937

29 3022

15 14 12.594.92

0

20

40

60

80

100

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Sept,2008

Hong Kong Construction IndustryAccident Rate Per Thousand Workers (1999-2007)

198

149

114.6

85.2

68.160.3 59.9 64.3 60.6

109

86

55.8

37.8 32.8 29.221

55.746.5

34.725 20.3 19.8

11.5 11.9

17.413.2

11.40

50

100

150

200

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Construction IndustryHKHADEVEB

c

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Thank You!

Mr. Conrad Wong JPPresident, Hong Kong Construction

Association

November 5, 2008

Lighthouse Club Annual Dinner