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[CIC - See What I See] Changing Site Culture for a Safer Working Environment
2023 was a year to be remembered. During the year, the industry achieved a satisfactory level of development by completing various Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) projects, seeing the concept of sustainable construction take root in Hong Kong, and tasting the success of digitalisation. However, all this progress was overshadowed by multiple fatal construction accidents.
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One fatal accident is too many. Therefore, the Construction Industry Council (CIC) has set 2024 as the Year of Safety to enhance the site environment. Apart from employing innovative technologies, the CIC has proposed fundamental changes to the safety culture of the construction site. Recently, the CIC invited Ir Prof Frank CHAN, Hong Kong Deputy to the National People’s Congress, to share his point of view on site safety and safety culture.
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New Technologies to Enhance Site Safety
Work on several large-scale infrastructure projects is to begin shortly in Hong Kong, all contributing to the building of a more prosperous, resilient, liveable, sustainable city. They include more than 400,000 public housing units over the next decade, the development of the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy, the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands, and the construction of railways and major roads. Construction volume is projected to reach HK$300 billion per year.
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As Ir Prof CHAN has pointed out, bringing these plans to fruition will require the efforts of hundreds of thousands of construction workers. However, the safety and protection of industry workers remains far from satisfactory. The industry has long been aware of the importance of site safety and has gradually implemented extensive measures of improvement. These include the adoption of MiC and Multi-trade Integrated Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MiMEP), which have long been promoted by the CIC, the continuous implementation of Dynamic Risk Assessment, installation of Smart Site Safety Systems, and the strengthening of site supervision and training.
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Contractors have installed sufficient safety hardware and software and assigned ample resources for training and improvement. The Government and the CIC have also spared no effort to promote site safety, including the amendment of relevant laws and increasing the number of site inspections. Nevertheless, accidents continue to occur. Both Ir Prof CHAN and Ir Thomas HO, Chairman of the CIC believe that problem is rooted in a lack of safety culture and awareness in the construction industry. Only a change of culture can improve safety levels.
New Culture Come from the Top
As Ir HO pointed out, examination of construction accident reports reveals common issues such as an absence of Dynamic Risk Assessments, fatal zones, and management and supervision for working at height. He also noted that over 40% of construction accident fatalities are over 60 years old. So, the industry should act now to change site safety culture.
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“Corporate culture comes from the top. The attention and focus of the leader will impact the culture significantly,” Ir Prof CHAN observed. He also encouraged industry leaders to visit sites in person, listen to workers’ opinions, and set an example to promote a culture of safety.
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He continued: “Safety culture is a combination of attitude, values and perception that influences how to implement all the measures already deployed at the workplace. It is not just paying lip service. To observe the result of such cultural change, one has to watch workers’ behaviour when no one is around to supervise.”
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Ir Prof CHAN hopes that construction workers will follow safety measures even when unsupervised. As he said: “Safety is a culture, a habit, an attitude and a mindset.”
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Ir Prof CHAN also encourages the industry to immediately put all the measures discussed into practice. Safety culture requires time to build and consolidate. “It is a collective commitment to change. I believe this promise could serve as a guideline and become a value, so that when the workers realise there is a potential risk, they will say ‘no’,” he said.
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It is the responsibility of each and every industry stakeholder to promote site safety culture. As Ir Ho said: “I hope from tomorrow you will implement a more effective safety cycle at sites. Please make sure your workers understand where their site’s fatal zones are located, and think about how to help them complete their tasks safely. Ensure that your site management, safety manager and frontline workers complete the Dynamic Risk Assessment and conduct daily morning briefings to let your workers know the site conditions and get accustomed to carrying out work procedures safely.”
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Real change starts from the top, and management should walk the talk. Construction safety is everyone’s responsibility.
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【香港建造新視野】改變工地文化? ?締造更安全環境
一年伊始，回顧2023，建造業取得令人滿意的發展。正如建造業議會（議會）主席何安誠工程師在最近一次「香港建造業新視野」活動中表示，在過去的一年，「組裝合成」建築法項目陸續落成，業界亦見證可持續建築概念紮根香港，更嚐到了數碼化所帶來的成功滋味。可是全力向前發展之際，去年多宗建造業工業意外釀成人命損失亦為上述成就蒙上陰影。
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一宗意外都嫌多，所以議會已將2024年定為「建造安全年」，積極提升工地環境，除了採用創新科技外，更提倡從根本着手，改變建造業安全文化。議會最近邀請到香港特別行政區全國人民大會代表陳帆教授工程師分享他對工地安全及工地文化的見解。
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新科技保障工人安全
在香港，未來有多項大型基建動工，包括政府在未來10年計劃興建逾40萬個公屋單位，還有北部都會區、交椅洲人工島，以及各項鐵路及交通設施等發展，每年的建造工程量達港幣3,000億元，建設更?榮、更有活力、更宜居及更具持續發展力的香港。
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陳教授工程師認為能夠將這些藍圖付諸實踐，實有賴數十萬的建造業工友的努力，但業界在保障工人安全方面的表現就差強人意。建造業界已經注意到工地安全的重要，並逐步廣泛採納一系列改善安全的措施，當中包括採用議會一直推動的「組裝合成」建築法及機電裝備合成法，持續進行動態風險評估、安裝智慧工地安全系統，加強工地的監管和培訓工友，用以提升工地安全。
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縱使承建商已安裝了充足的安全硬件及軟件，也分配充足的資源去培訓及推廣工地安全；政府及議會亦不遺餘力推動工地安全，包括修改有關法例及加強巡查工地，但意外仍時有發生。陳教授工程師與何安誠工程師同樣認為是業界的安全文化及安全意識不足做成，唯有改變文化才能提升安全水平。??????????
?由上而下帶動新文化
何工程師指翻查工地意外紀錄，可以總結出數個普遍存在的安全問題，包括缺乏動態風險評估、沒有設立危險區域及高空工作缺乏管理及監管等，而大約四成的死者均為超過60歲的工友，所以改變工地安全文化是刻不容緩的事。
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陳教授工程師表示：「企業文化是由上而下去倡導，領導人所關注的事情對企業文化的影響非常大。」他鼓勵業界領導層要積極到工地視察，聽取工友的意見，以身作則推廣安全文化。
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他亦進一步闡釋何謂安全文化：「安全文化糅合工作態度、價值觀以及觀察力，這種觀察力可以影響如何執行已在工地上實施的措施，而不是空談應該要做些甚麼。要實際看到安全文化的成果，可以趁當沒有其他人在場監督時，觀察工友的行為模式。」
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陳教授工程師希望建造業可以做到工友在沒有監管的情況下，也做足安全措施。正如何安誠工程師所言：「安全是一種文化、習慣、心態及態度。」
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陳教授工程師更鼓勵業界不可再紙上談兵，立即採取行動，安全文化需要時間去建立及鞏固。他說：「改變工地安全文化是業界的集體承諾，相信這個承諾可以作為行為指引，形成一種價值觀，在意識到有存在風險時會說『不』。」
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安全文化是業界的每一位持份者的責任，正如何安誠工程師說：「我希望各位由明天開始能在工地實施更具效率的安全程序，包括：確保工友清楚工作環境的危險地帶，思考如何協助工友安全地完成工作，確保工地管理層、安全主任及前線工友做好動態風險評估，以及每天早上進行工地現場簡報會，讓工人知道工地情況及習慣以安全的方式進行工序。」
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真正的轉變是由管理層坐言起行開始，建造安全人人有責。