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Following is the question by the Dr Hon Kwok Ka-ki and a written reply by the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Mr Stephen Ip, in the Legislative Council today (January 31):
Question:
Regarding occupational safety of supermarket staff, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the respective numbers of cases in which supermarket staff, such as cashiers and tally clerks, were injured at work or confirmed to have suffered from occupational diseases in each of the past five years; and
(b) of such cases in the past year, what types of work injuries and occupational disease cases are of the highest number, and what are the posts involved?
Reply:
Madam President :
(a) The occupational injuries for the sector of retail of foodstuffs and consumer goods (including supermarkets) in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and the first half of 2006 were 2,228, 2,091, 2,244, 2,264 and 1,108 respectively. The Labour Department does not compile statistics specifically for the supermarket trade. During the period, there was only one supermarket employee confirmed to have contracted occupational disease in 2005.
(b) In 2005 and the first half of 2006, the most common types of accidents for the sector of retail of foodstuffs and consumer goods included:
(i) injured whilst lifting or carrying (25.9%);
(ii) slip, trip or fall on same level (18.4%);
(iii) injured by hand tool (14.7%);
(iv) striking against or struck by moving object (12.4%); and
(v) striking against fixed or stationary object (7.7%).
The above five types of accidents accounted for almost 80% of the total occupational injuries. In the same period, there was one shop assistant of a supermarket confirmed to have contracted the occupational disease of "tenosynovitis". We are unable to provide information on the most accident-prone posts, as the Labour Department does not have such a breakdown.
Ends/Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:33
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