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The work safety and health performance of the catering industry had improved significantly from 1999 to 2005 as a result of the collective efforts of the Government, employers, employees and concerned parties in the sector. However, work accidents in the industry recorded a resurgent trend in the first half of last year.
Speaking at an award presentation ceremony of the Catering Industry Safety Award Scheme today (January 21), the Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said the Labour Department recorded 4,375 industrial accidents in the catering industry in the first half of 2006, up 4.4% over the level of 4,191 in the same period of 2005.
The accident rate per 1,000 employees in the first half of 2006 stood at 44.8, a slight drop of 0.3% from 45 in the same period of 2005. Mr Cheung expressed concern over the rising trend in work injuries of the catering industry.
¡°Although work accidents in the catering sector were mostly of a minor nature, we should not take things lightly. We should continue to work together in promoting work safety in the catering industry and try our best to improve the work safety and health performance of the industry,¡± he said.
¡°In addition to legislation and enforcement as well as training and education, we are dedicated to launching publicity and promotional schemes on occupational health and safety in a bid to raise the safety and health awareness of stakeholders in the catering industry and to reduce the accident toll to a minimum,¡± he continued.
The catering industry recorded 12,549 industrial accidents in 1999 and the accident rate per 1,000 workers was 66.9. With the concerted efforts of the related parties, the number of accidents dropped to 8,902 in 2005 and the accident rate per 1,000 workers decreased to 47.3.
¡°Although the accident figures in the catering industry recorded a significant downward trend from 1999 to 2005, the number of work injuries in the catering industry topped all trades for the past six years. The number was even higher than the high-risk construction industry. This situation warrants our concern,¡± Mr Cheung said.
In this connection, the Government has been encouraging and assisting the industry to adopt effective safety management to establish a safe and healthy work environment. Mr Cheung called on employees at all levels of the catering industry to actively participate in safety work, as an individual¡¯s safe conduct and proper work attitude are an essential element in fostering an organisation¡¯s safety culture.
The Labour Department has always joined with relevant bodies to organise different kinds of publicity and promotion activities on occupational safety and health to raise the awareness of frontline staff.
¡°The slogan for this year¡¯s Award Scheme is ¡®Prevent work accident in catering establishments and put into practice occupational safety measures¡¯. I hope that all of us can adopt the measures to minimise work injuries in the industry,¡± he said.
The Catering Industry Safety Award Scheme has been co-organised by the Labour Department, the Occupational Safety and Health Council and stakeholders in the trade since 1999. Entering its eighth year, the event has drawn participation from 215 eligible catering establishments. A total of 172 qualified management staff had been nominated for the supervisor award. Both figures were record high.
In addition, 34 catering employees received awards for safe workers this year. In order to further disseminate the occupational safety and health message, the Award Scheme has introduced a new ¡°Safety Performance Special Award¡± to honour those small-scale catering establishments that have attained good occupational safety and health performance.
Ends/Sunday, January 21, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:31
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