Safety Handbook for Construction Site Workers

Occupational Safety and Health Branch Labour Department

Introduction
Most accidents can be prevented by taking simple measures or adopting proper working procedures. This handbook is intended to outline important issues on safety and health that should be paid attention to on construction sites for easy reference by the workers. If we work carefully and take appropriate safety measures, there will definitely be fewer work injury cases, and our sites will become a safe and secure place to work in. The Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, which came into operation on 23 May 1997, covers most workplaces in order to protect the safety and health of employees at work. Other legislation applicable to construction sites includes the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation, particularly the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations.

Employees' Responsibilities
Employees should cooperate with their employers and other persons in complying with the safety legislation and guidelines, and should not do anything to endanger themselves and other persons.

Basic Rules for Safety

Tidy up construction sites

Keep passages clear all the time. Sort out materials and pile them up safely. The stacks should not be too high. Beware of floor openings and ensure that they are fenced or covered. Remove refuse as soon as possible. Provide sufficient lighting. Familiarize with the location and the operation of fire-fighting equipmen t.

Safety measures

Before you operate a machine, ensure that the dangerous part of the machine has been installed with a guard. Avoid going to any area with insufficient lighting as there may be some dangerous places which have not been provided with fencing. Keep vigilant all the time and watch out for moving cranes, hooks or other lifting equipment. Before you use any electrical installation or tool, check the condition of its electric cables. Avoid dragging electric cables on the ground or allowing the cables to come into contact with water. Use electrical tools installed with an earth leakage circuit breaker. Use and handle chemicals with care.

Personal Safety

Wear protective equipment. Do not drink or take drugs while working. Pay attention to personal hygiene. Do not play in the workplace. Report to your supervisor immediately if you notice any unsafe condition.

Emergency Response to Accidents

You should have a good understanding of your working environment and the instructions given by your supervisor. When evacuation is required in an emergency, you should keep calm and find out :

What dangerous situation the alarm refers to. The routes for evacuation. The safe place that you should go to as designated by the company.

When someone is found seriously injured, you should : Keep calm. Seek help immediately. Accompany the injured person. Assist in the immediate rescue work as far as possible. Call the site safety staff. Do not try to move the injured person unless it is really necessary to do so. Do not tamper with the accident scene while waiting for the arrival of the investigation team. When a fire breaks out, you should remember : Put out the fire with a fire extinguisher if it is a small fire. If the blaze is out of control, do not try to extinguish the fire on your own. Call the Fire Services Department right away. Emergency telephone numbers : Always pay attention to the emergency telephone numbers posted on the notice board in the site office.

 Tips for Workplace Safety Falsework, scaffold and fencing

Falsework
d in falsework If you are engage ould: operation, you sh k is ther the falsewor Check whe with the rdance erected in acco design. is at the falsework Make sure th d. securely erecte the er the struts of Check wheth cure. falsework are se ted e props are erec Ensure that th ranged at a vertically and ar in a row. suitable distance n supervisor whe Report to your is found. ation any unsafe situ

Scaffold
Do not use scaffolds unless they have been erected by traine d workmen and unde r the supervision of a competent person. Do not use a scaffold un less it has been inspected and certified safe by a competent person before use. Str ictly follow the instru ctions of a competent person. Do not alter the scaffold unless autho rized to do so. Do not work on an un finished scaffold. Wh en it is necessary to work on a mobile scaffold, lock the wh eels of the scaffold before you start worki ng. Do not work on a scaffold unless it has been provided with a suita ble working platform .

Fencing
Do not w ork in a dangero unless it us place s floor e dges an opening d s have b een insta secure fe lled with ncing. If you no tice any dangero that hav us place e not be s en insta fencing lled with or the fe ncing ha damage s been d, reinsta ll or rep fencing. air the If this is beyond capabilit your y, inform your supervis or at on ce.

Ladder

ction, od constru ich is of go dder wh trength. Use a la adequate s aterial and ing it sound m r before us e the ladde 1M rvals. Examin regular inte spect it at and in vel and a le e ladder on Place th g. priate firm footin at an appro the ladder Place angle. er has a at the ladd Ensure th er end th. The upp icient leng least suff ould be at e ladder sh against of th the landing etre above 1m s. ladder lean which the unless its r se a ladde Do not u s been wer end ha per or lo up d by d or secure curely fixe se rker. ns another wo l installatio re electrica dders. If there a tal la not use me es or nearby, do out 2 metr carried If work is a suitable use e the floor, more abov . tform working pla
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fastened securely

Equipment and Electricity

and Gear of a crane, Lifting Appliance ined. In the case pliance unless tra

lifting ap Do not operate a required. chain sling, a certificate is hook, shackle or lifting gear such as Before using d tear. ere is any wear an check whether th lifted. ht of the load to be Check the weig load of the safe working Do not exceed ing gear. or lift a lifting appliance method. the correct lifting Adopt ar pliance or lifting ge ing ap Do not use a lift certified examined and unless it has been nt examiner. safe by a compete s it ing appliance unles Do not use a lift d ly repaired an has been regular on. a competent pers maintained by owed. repair is all No unauthorized ructions safe working inst Follow the lifting appliance. rer of a of the manufactu spended load. rk beneath any su Do not wo

Material Hoist
Do not ride on a material hoist. Do not operate a material hoist with out prior proper training. Do not exceed the safe working load of a material hoist. Do not use a material hoist unless it has been examined and certified safe by a competent examiner. Do not use a material hoist unless its gates have been installed with an effective interloc king safety system. The hoist is only operable after all the gates have been closed.

No carriage of Persons

Do not use a material hoist unless it has been repaired and maintained by a competent pers on. No unauthorized repair is allowed. Do not put loose materials into receptac les unless properly secured. Ens ure good communication with the ope rator of a material hoist. All signals should be underst ood and followed.

Loadshifting

Unless you ar e a worker co ncerned, do not work in an area where a loader, an excavator, etc. is in oper ation. Do not operat e any loadsh ifting machinery w ithout trainin g and approval. Operators of forklift truck s, bulldozers, lo aders, excava tors, trucks or lorr ies should p ossess appropriate certificates.

Machinery

Cartridge-opera

ted Fixing Tool

a cartridgeDo not operate ve ol unless you ha operated fixing to lid certificate. possessed a va eye and ear Wear suitable operating a protectors while ted fixing tool. cartridge-opera tool -operated fixing Use a cartridge with great care.

Tool Do not use a p ortable (such a power s saw, tool grinder unless and dril its dan l) gerous been eff parts h ectively ave guarde Place th d. e electr ic cable hose o and f a tool at an ap positio propria n to av te oid trip hazard ping s.

Portable

Power

Compressed

r specified ed air only fo Use compress purposes. ed air any compress Do not use levant devices ipes and re n and equipment, p od constructio they are of go unless certified safe amined and have been ex before use. ent examiner by a compet erly. nectors prop Fix the con t the pipes. Do not twis ressed air use of comp ot abuse the Do n or a . Use a brush ning purpose for clea dust from ner to remove vacuum clea skin. clothing and

Air

Electric T

Before us ing an ele ctric tool, tool and it check the s plug an d connec Do not us ting cable e a dama . ged tool. Do not us e an elec tric tool u its conne nless cting cab le is well protected . Do not us e an elec tric tool u its metal nless casing is earthed a power su nd its pply is pro vided wit an earth h leakage c ircuit bre Do not re aker. pair or alt er any ele installatio ctrical n unless competen If you me t to do so et any fau . lt or prob it to your lem, repo supervis rt or immed iately.

ool

Workplace Safety and Fire Prevention

Excavations
Keep the fen ce on all sides of an excavatio n intact. Use safe acce ss for ingress and egress. Do not pile so il or any other materials at the edge of an excavation. Make sure th at a trench is securely sho red before working in it .

ing an Gas Weld

ing r gas weld ipment fo qu e attained use the e Do not s you hav ificate. ing unles cutt valid cert or flame nd hold a a s it f 18 years der unles the age o . gas cylin arrestors use any ack Do not ith flashb fitted w ipment. has been ctive equ onal prote ers Wear p an. place cle the work Keep ers uish re exting Place fi ach. within re rs in an s cylinde a Keep g secure ition and right pos urning. up void overt perly to a , it pro detected akage is If gas le rvisor e your sup report it to ly. immediate
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d Flame C

utting

Fire Risk

er, sk. Howev ays a fire ri uced, here is alw T be red s of fire can en the chance at to do wh ow wh you will kn and : s out if you e clean a fire break e workplac s keep th Alway at and tidy. nd tools th achinery a Handle m t r hea te sparks o may genera carefully. e naked moke or us Do not s ere ny area wh flames in a xplosive and e flammable d. s are store substance guishers are n ere fire exti Know wh used. ow they are ted and h for loca assembly e place of Know th tion. fire evacua

Public Safety
Pay attention to public safety. Members of the public are often unaware of or do not understand the work carried out on construction si tes and the risks involved. Ta ke great care to prevent the fall of materials fro m height. Do not stack mater ials on floor edges or on scaf folds.

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Waste Dis

wanted s, and un e all waste d of at Dispos e dispose ls must b materia . ted place a designa or of the supervis tify your No arate r the sep irement fo requ al or of chemic disposal s. ble waste nails inflamma nks with leave pla Do not geways. on passa

posal

Safety Superv

Their respon sibility is to assist others to wo rk smoothly and safely. They have re ceived specif ic safety trainin g and are important m embers of th e construction team. They have le gal responsi bility or liability fo r the overall safety of the constru ction site. You should g et to know yo ur safety super visor.

isors

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Personal Safety and Hygiene

Eye Protection

rtainly take A wise worker will ce ight. good care of his eyes ent may cause A small fragm es if it serious consequenc enters one's eyes. k of eye When there is a ris ncrete injury, such as in co ing abrasive breaking or us ar wheels, you should we tors. suitable eye protec the eye Take proper care of to you. protectors provided ged or defective Replace dama diately. clean. eye protectors imme le to wear, and keep tectors are comfortab Ensure that eye pro your head do not put it on for eye protection w Use eye protectors ck. your eyes. or hang it on your ne replaceable, but not that eye protectors are Bear in mind

Noise
Wear ear pro tectors in area s with high no ise levels. Properly wea r ear protect ors according to the manufact urer's instructions. Do not reuse disposable ea r plugs. Clean ear pro tectors regu larly.

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Personal Protectiv

For your own safet y and interest, use the personal protective equipm ent provided by yo ur employer. W ear gloves when ha ndling or contactin g chemicals. Re member to wear a mask when workin g in a dusty environ ment. W ear eye and ear pr otectors whenever necessary. W ear a safety harnes s and secure it to a safe anchorage point when workin g at height. A bamboo scaffold is not a sa fe anchorage point, so do not fasten th e safety harness to it. W ear safety shoes to prevent foot injury Co . nsult your superv isor if in doubt.

e Equipment

First Aid

If you sustai n an injury o r feel not well while at work , even if it is m inor, go to the first aid ro om right away for medical tr eatment and notify your su pervisor. Put the case on record.

Safety Helme

helmet on a Wear a safety site. construction e harness of th Keep the e sure and mak helmet clean l. that it fits wel n the ll any holes o Do not dri g. it for poundin helmet or use
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First Aid

Manual Handling Operations

ons as far as Avoid manual handling operati of injury. possible to minimize the risk . Estimate the weight of the load ct with a correct posture. Lift an obje ipment. Wear suitable protective equ possible Put on gloves as far as to protect your hands from any cut, scratch or puncture, and wear safety boots or shoes to prevent injury to toes by heavy falling objects. e Seek assistance from someon in lifting a load if necessary.

Personal Hy

Keep yoursel f clean. Wash hands before meals and after usi ng the toilet. Dress tidily an d in protectiv e clothing.

giene

Alcohol and

Drugs

ke alcohol, or ta Do not drink at work. drugs, while due to take drugs If you need your port it to to illness, re supervisor.

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Occupational Safety and Health Enquiry Service

G 2559 2297 ]auto-recording after office hours^ G 2915 1410 G enquiry@labour.gov.hk G http:// www.labour.gov.hk Information on the services offered by the Occupational Safety and Health Council can be obtained through hotline 2739 9000.

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3/2004 - 4 - B69b