Safety Handbook for Construction Site Workers

Occupational Safety and Health Branch Labour Department

This handbook is issued free of charge and can be obtained from offices of the Occupational Safety and Health Branch, Labour Department. It can also be download from http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/b69.htm. For enquiries about the addresses and telephone numbers of the offices, please call 2559 2297. This handbook may be freely reproduced except for advertising, endorsement or commercial purposes. Please acknowledge the source asSafety Handbook for Construction Site Workers , published by the Labour Department.

Safety Handbook for Construction Site Workers

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 equipment.

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 the falsework is r he et Check wh ance with the erected in accord design. the falsework is Make sure that securely erected. r the struts of the Check whethe cure. falsework are se d props are erecte Ensure that the nged at a vertically and arra in a row. suitable distance supervisor when Report to your tion is found. any unsafe situa

Scaffold
Do not use scaffolds un less they have been erected by traine d workmen and under the supervision of a co mpetent person. Do not use a scaffold unles s it has been inspected and ce rtified safe by a competent person be fore use. Str ictly follow the instructi ons of a competent person. Do not alter the scaffold unless authoriz ed to do so. Do not work on an unfin ish ed scaffold. Wh en it is necessary to wo rk on a mobile scaffold, lock the whee ls of the scaffold before you start worki ng . Do not work on a scaffold unless it has been provided with a suitable working platform.

Fencing
Do not w ork in a d angerou unless it s place s floor ed ges and openings have bee n installe secure fe d with n cing. If you noti ce any d angerous that have places not been installed fencing with or the fe ncing ha damage s been d, reinsta ll or repa fencing. ir the If this is beyond capabilit y o ur y, inform your supervis or at onc e.

Ladder

n, constructio h is of good ic h w r . e th d g d Use a la quate stren rial and ade g it sound mate before usin the ladder ls. a Examine rv te r in t it at regula d n a and inspec l leve ladder on a Place the . firm footing ropriate r at an app e d d la e th Place angle. r has a at the ladde Ensure th pper end ngth. The u sufficient le at least e r should b against of the ladde in d the lan g ve o b a e tr e 1m dder leans. which the la unless its se a ladder Do not u s been wer end ha upper or lo d by u c ed or se re securely fix rker. s another wo l installation re electrica . rs e If there a d d tal la not use me o d y, r rb o a s e e n 2 metr carried out If work is a suitable r, o the flo use more above tform. working pla
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fastened securely

Equipment and Electricity

d Gear crane, Lifting Appliance an d. In the case of a ance unless traine

ing appli Do not operate a lift d. ire qu ain sling, a certificate is re hook, shackle or ch as ch su ar ge ing Before using lift tear. re is any wear and check whether the . ed lift be to d t of the loa Check the weigh of d loa ng rki the safe wo Do not exceed or lifting gear. ce an pli a lifting ap ct lifting method. Adopt the corre gear appliance or lifting Do not use a lifting ied rtif examined and ce unless it has been t examiner. safe by a competen pliance unless it ap Do not use a lifting repaired and has been regularly mpetent person. maintained by a co pair is allowed. No unauthorized re s working instruction Follow the safe ance. pli ap ing r of a lift of the manufacture d load. de en sp su ath any Do not work bene

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 exam iner . Do not use a material hoist unless its gate s have been installed with an effective interlocking safety system. The hoist is only operable after all the gates have been closed. 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 receptacles unless properly secured. Ensu re good communication with the operator of a material hoist. All signals should be underst ood and followed.

No carriage of Persons

Loadshifting M

Unless you ar e a worker co ncerned, do not work in an area where a loader, an excavator, etc. is in oper at ion. Do not operat e any loadshift ing machinery with out training an d approval. Operators of forklift trucks, bulldozers, lo aders, excava tors, trucks or lorrie s should posse ss appropriate ce rtificates.

achinery

Cartridge-operat

ed Fixing Tool

cartridgeDo not operate a ol unless you have operated fixing to certificate. possessed a valid eye and ear Wear suitable operating a protectors while d fixing tool. cartridge-operate ol -operated fixing to Use a cartridge with great care.

ool Do not use a p o rtable p (such a ower to s saw, g ol rinder a unless it n d drill) s dange rous pa been eff rts have ectively g uarded Place th . e electr ic cable hose of and a tool a t an app position ropriate to avoid tripping hazards .

Portable

Power T

Compressed

r specified ed air only fo Use compress purposes. ed air any compress Do not use devices le and re vant es ip p t, en m p equi ction and good constru of e ar ey th unless rtified safe amined and ce have been ex ore use. t examiner bef by a competen ly. ectors proper Fix the conn t the pipes. Do not twis ssed air use of compre e th e us ab t Do no a brush or a urpose. Use for cleaning p ust from r to remove d vacuum cleane skin. clothing and

Air

Electric T

Before us ing an ele ctric tool, tool and it check the s plug and c onnecting Do not us cable. e a dama ged tool. Do not us e an elec tric tool u its connec nless ting cable is well protected . Do not us e an elec tric tool u its metal c nless asing is e arthed an power su d its pply is pro vided with an earth le akage cir cuit break Do not re er. pair or alt e r any electr installation ical unless co mpetent to If you mee do so. t any fault or problem it to your , report superviso r immedia tely.

ool

Workplace Safety and Fire Prevention

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

ing and Gas Weld

ing r gas weld ipment fo u q e e in th atta ed use Do not you have s s le n u ificate. g uttin valid cert a ld o or flame c h d an f 18 years nless it the age o cylinder u s a g y rs. n a e s u ck arresto Do not h flashba it w d e t. tt n fi me has been tive equip nal protec o rs e p r a We ce clean. e workpla Keep th ishers re extingu Place fi ch. within rea rs in an s a cylinde Keep g secure ition and s o p t h g ri up rturning. avoid ove to y rl e p it pro etected, akage is d If gas le rvisor your supe report it to ly. immediate
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Flame Cu

tting

Flashback arrestors

Fire Risk

. However, ays a fire risk lw a is re e h T reduced, f fire can be o s e c n a h c the do when ow what to kn ill w u yo and out if you: a fire breaks place clean ep the work Always ke and tidy. d tools that achinery an Handle m r heat te sparks o may genera carefully. naked oke or use Do not sm ere ny area wh flames in a ve si lo and exp flammable d re are sto . substances ers are e extinguish fir re e h w w Kno re used. how they a located and embly for place of ass Know the 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 sites and the risks involved. Ta ke great care to pr event the fall of materials from height. Do not stack materia ls on floor edges or on scaf folds.

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Waste Dis

nwanted tes, and u s a w ll a e of at Dispos disposed e b t s u m materials . ted place a designa of the upervisor s r u o y fy Noti separate nt for the requireme l or f chemica disposal o . le wastes inflammab with nails s k leave plan Do not geways. on passa

posal

Safety Superv

Their responsi bility is to assi st others to wor k smoothly and safely. They have re ceived specifi c safety training and are important mem bers of the construction team. They have leg al responsibili ty or liability for the overall sa fety of the construc tion site. You should g et to know yo ur safety supervi sor.

isors

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Personal Safety and Hygiene

Eye Protection

inly take A wise worker will certa ight. good care of his eyes cause y ma t en A small fragm if it es nc serious conseque enters one's eyes. of eye When there is a risk rete injury, such as in conc ive ras ab ing breaking or us ar we ld wheels, you shou s. suitable eye protector the eye Take proper care of you. protectors provided to fective de or d ge Replace dama y. tel dia me eye protectors im ar, and keep clean. are comfortable to we s tor tec Ensure that eye pro not put it on your head for eye protection do Use eye protectors . or hang it on your neck , but not your eyes. tectors are replaceable pro e ey t tha Bear in mind

Noise
Wear ear pro tectors in area s with high nois e levels. Properly wea r ear protector s according to the manufactu re r's instructions. Do not reuse disposable ea r plugs. Clean ear pro tectors regular ly.

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Personal Protective

For your own safety and interest, use the personal protective equipme nt provided by your em W ployer. ear gloves when ha ndling or contacting chemicals. Re member to wear a mask when working in a dusty environme nt. W ear eye and ear pr otectors whenever necessary. W ear a safety harnes s and secure it to a safe anchorage po int when working at height. A bamboo scaffold is not a sa fe anchorage point, so do not fasten the safety harness to it. W ear safety shoes to prevent foot injury. Co nsult your superviso r if in doubt.

Equipment

First Aid

If you sustain an injury or feel not well w hile 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 ess of the rn Keep the ha re and make su helmet clean l. that it fits wel y holes on the an l ril d t Do no g. it for poundin helmet or use
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First Aid

Manual Handling Operations

as far as Avoid manual handling operations ry. inju of possible to minimize the risk . Estimate the weight of the load ture. pos ect corr a with Lift an object ent. ipm equ ve ecti Wear suitable prot e sibl pos 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 Hyg

Keep yourself clean. Wash hands before meals and after usin g the toilet. Dress tidily an d in protective clothing.

iene

Alcohol and D

rugs

cohol, or take Do not drink al work. drugs, while at due to take drugs If you need ur ort it to yo to illness, rep supervisor.

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Occupational Safety and Health Enquiry Service

2559 2297 auto-recording after office hours 2915 1410 enquiry@labour.gov.hk 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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This Edition 3/2004

3/2004 - 4 - B69b