Annual Report on Accident Statistics and Analyses for Public Works Contracts 2014 This report provides a summary of the accident statistics and analysis of the accidents occurred in public works construction sites during 2014. Accident Statistics (Appendices A to F) 2. Some key accident statistical data and their trends are summarized below: - (a) (b) Key Statistical Data Accident rate for 2014 (fatal + non-fatal) No. of reportable accidents (fatal + non-fatal) Remarks The accident rates for 2013 and 2014 were 0.20 and 0.21 accidents per 100,000 man-hours worked (or equivalent to 7.3 and 7.6 accidents per 1,000 workers per year) respectively. An increase of about 4% was observed. The total numbers of reportable accidents for 2013 and 2014 were 211 and 223 respectively. An increase of about 6% was observed. The numbers of man-hours worked for 2013 and 2014 were 103,838,302 and 105,614,895 respectively. An increase of about 2% was observed. (c) Fatal accidents Five fatal accidents occurred in public works sites in 2014 whilst a total of 22 (two were associated with marine works) fatal accidents happened under the whole industry. 3. A brief account of the five fatal accidents happened under public works contracts is given below: - Date of Accident Accident Nature 21/03/2014 Exposure to Fire Brief Description of Accident A worker caught fire when carrying out teakwood floor replacement work in a unit of Tsing Chung Koon Road Government Quarters and passed away seven days later. The incident happened under ArchSD term contract no. TC W 051 the Alterations, Additions, Maintenance and Repair of Buildings and Lands and Other Properties in Tuen Mun and Yuen Long. -1-
Date of Accident Accident Nature Brief Description of Accident 23/07/2014 Drowning A worker was drowned to death after falling into the sea while transporting goods on a barge. The incident happened under HyD capital works contract no. HY/2010/02 Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Reclamation Works. 19/10/2014 Fall from Height A chainman fell together with a lifting frame for the construction of the bridge deck at Chek Lap Kok (CLK). In the incident, the chainman passed away while four other people injured. The incident happened under HyD capital works contract no. HY/2011/09 Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Link Road. 15/11/2014 Falling Object A worker assigned for unloading water pipes from a crane lorry at Tuen Mun Road was hit by a bundle of three water pipes falling from the stack of pipes. The incident happened under HyD capital works contract no. HY/2008/11 Reconstruction and Improvement of Tuen Mun Road, Sam Shing Hui Section. 12/12/2014 Drowning A backhoe operator was drowned to death after falling into the water together with the backhoe from a barge next to the reclaimed area near the CLK Airport. The incident happened under HyD capital works contract no. HY/2010/02 Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Reclamation Works. -2-
4. The 2014 accident rates for works departments are summarized below: - Departments No. of Fatal Accident(s) No. of accidents per 100,000 man-hours worked Accident Rates (Fatal + Non-fatal) No. of accidents per 1,000 workers per year ArchSD 1 0.30 10.7 CEDD 0 0.19 6.7 DSD 0 0.14 5.0 EMSD 0 0.06 2.1 HyD 4 0.24 8.6 WSD 0 0.17 6.2 Overall 5 0.21 7.6 Note: The limit set by DEVB with effect from 1 February 2011 is 0.60 accidents per 100,000 man-hours worked (or equivalent to 22 accidents per 1,000 workers per year). 5. The severity rates (in terms of no. of man-days lost per 100,000 man-hours worked) for 2013 and 2014 were 46.4 and 41.3 respectively. A decrease of 11% was observed. Accident Analyses 6. The accident analyses for the following aspects are given in Appendices G to O of this Report respectively. Some key findings are summarized below. (a) Type of Contracts (Appendix G) The three types of contracts having the highest accident rates are listed below: - Type of Contracts Building contracts Accident rate (no. of accident per 1,000 workers per year) 11.5 9.7 11.5 1.8 (19%) -3-
Type of Contracts Tunnel works contracts Port works contracts Accident rate (no. of accident per 1,000 workers per year) 10.8 6.8 11.1 4.3 (63%) 11.9 8.3 9.0 0.7 (8%) Since the accident rates under building and tunnel works contracts in 2014 are significantly higher than the that under other types, the corresponding contract administers and site supervisory staff are reminded to pay particular attention to the safety performance on sites. As reflected in item 3 above, the consequence of accidents associated with drowning could be fatal. Works Departments with ongoing Port Works contracts should be more vigilant in supervising the contractors works. (b) Types of Accidents (Appendix H) The four most common types of accidents are listed below: - Types of Accident Slip, trip or fall on same level 54 43 (20%) 42 (19%) -1 (-2%) Injured whilst manual lifting or carrying 54 30 (14%) 38 (17%) 8 (27%) Fall of person from height 53 31 (15%) 26 (12%) -5 (-16%) Struck by moving or falling object 34 (12%) 28 (13%) 18 (8%) -10 (-36%) -4-
The aggregate of these four categories has been accounted for 56% of the total number of accidents in 2014. Works Departments are to devise effective means to further reduce the number of accident in these categories. (c) Trades of Work (Appendix I) The three most common trades involved in the accidents are listed below:- Trades Labourer 150 (51%) 126 (60%) 113 (51%) -13 (-10%) Carpenter (formworker) 11 (4%) 5 (2%) 12 (5%) 7 (140%) Bar bender and fixer 5 (2%) 3 (1%) 10 (4%) 7 (233%) More morning briefings or toolbox talks for labourers are recommended in order to enhance their safety awareness. (d) Natures of Injury (Appendix J) The three most common natures of injury are listed below: - Natures of Injury Fracture 86 (29%) 68 (32%) 63 (28%) -5 (-7%) -5-
Natures of Injury Contusion & bruise 49 (17%) 62 (29%) 47 (21%) -15 (-24%) Sprain / strain / twist 50 (17%) 37 34 (15%) -3 (-8%) The numbers of accident associated with Fracture have been the highest for the past five years. (e) Parts of Body Injured (Appendix K) The three most common body parts injured in the accidents are listed below:- Parts of Body Injured Finger 61 (21%) 39 61 (27%) 22 (56%) Ankle 22 (7%) 23 (11%) 22 (10%) -1 (-4%) Hand / Palm 20 (7%) 15 (7%) 20 (9%) 5 (33%) The numbers of accident under Finger injury have been the highest for the past five years. Works Departments should continue to pay close attention to the safe use of hand tools, lifting operations, portable power equipment, wearing of suitable gloves and provide sufficient training and instruction to workers to ensure their safety at work. -6-
(f) Agents Involved (Appendix L) The three most common agents involved in the accidents are listed below:- Agents Involved Floor, ground, stairs or any working surface Material / product being handled or stored Portable power or hand tools 46 (16%) 58 (20%) 27 (9%) 38 42 (20%) 20 (9%) 42 (19%) 41 22 (10%) 4 (10%) -1 (-2%) 2 (10%) The numbers of accidents associated with Floor, ground, stairs or any working surface and Material / product being handled or stored have been the highest two for the past five years. Contractors should be asked to make extra efforts to improve these areas. (g) Unsafe Actions (Appendix M) The three most common unsafe actions leading to accidents are listed below:- Unsafe Actions Lack of attention 97 (33%) 65 (31%) 81 (36%) 16 (25%) Unsafe position or posture 45 (15%) -7-51 (24%) 39 (17%) -12 (-24%)
Unsafe Actions Failure to secure objects 15 (5%) 17 (8%) 14 (3%) -3 (-18%) The numbers of accident under Lack of attention have been the highest for the past 5 years. Contractors are to provide sufficient information and instructions to workers so that the workers would be more alert in the work place. (h) Unsafe Conditions (Appendix N) The three most common unsafe conditions involved in the accidents are listed below: - Unsafe Conditions Unsafe process or job methods Improper procedure 34 (12%) 25 (8%) 38 21 (10%) 30 (13%) 30 (13%) -8 (-21%) 9 (43%) Slippery area 21 (7%) 17 (8%) 13 (6%) -4 (-24%) As good housekeeping would be the first line of defense against accidents, contractors should be instructed to rectify any malpractice promptly in this connection. -8-
(i) Personal Factors (Appendix O) The distributions of accidents arising from personal factors are given below: - Personal Factors Carelessness / not concentrate Incorrect attitude / motive Lack of knowledge or skill 168 (57%) 32 (9%) 27 (11%) 127 (60%) 30 (14%) 31 (15%) 124 (56%) 37 (17%) 26 (12%) -3 (-2%) 7 (23%) -5 (-16%) The numbers of accident associated with Carelessness / lack of concentration of workers have been the highest for the past five years. Contractors shall strengthen the workers safety awareness and working attitude through training including morning briefings and toolbox talks. 7. To uphold the continuous improvement in site safety, Works Departments are recommended to pay particular attention to the following aspects: - (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) promoting workers safety awareness in manual lifting; against fall from height and falling object; and to prevent slip and trip; improving on site cleanliness and tidiness; providing sufficient instruction, training and supervision to workers to ensure their safety at work in particular for working at height, electrical works, confined space work, working in the vicinity to water & moving plant and rigging work; providing sufficient number of banksman for the lifting and other operations involving moving plant and equipment; -9-
(v) providing suitable fall arresting equipment e.g. safety harness, fall arrester and independent lifeline to workers who are at risk of falling from a height; (vi) maintaining an effective monitoring system to ensure workers and supervisory staff (both RSS and in-house staff) make full and proper use of PPE and safety equipment; (vii) enforcing the requirement to conduct risk assessment for all manual handling works before commencement of the work; (viii) exploring the use of mechanical aids for lifting or carrying, in order to eliminate manual handling operations as far as possible; (ix) maintaining a safe system of work including proper site layout and work plan to segregate workers from construction plant and vehicles; (x) providing adequate safety training, morning briefings or toolbox talks to labourers in order to raise their safety awareness and working attitude; and (xi) providing sufficient information and instruction to workers and paying particular attention to the workers misbehaviours during safety inspection and supervision on site. Any unsafe actions or posture observed on site should be stopped immediately. 8. Apart from the analyses given in this report, Works Departments are recommended to carry out further detailed analyses of the accidents under their purview with a view to developing specific safety measures and programme for further improvement. Development Bureau May 2015-10-
Attachments: Appendix A B C D E F G Title Accident Rates for Public Works Contracts and the Construction Industry from 2005 to 2014 Chart of Yearly Accident Rates for Public Works Contracts and the Construction Industry from 2005 to 2014 Chart of Monthly Average Accident Rates for Public Works Contracts from January 2005 to December 2014 Number of Accidents for Public Works Contracts with Breakdown by Works Departments from 2005 to 2014 Accident Rates for Public Works Contracts with Breakdown by Works Departments from 2005 to 2014 Severity for Public Works Contracts with Breakdown by Works Departments from 2005 to 2014 Accident Rates for Public Works Contracts Analyzed by Type of Contracts from 2005 to 2014 H for Public Works Contracts from 2010 to 2014 Analyzed by Type of Accident I for Public Works Contracts from 2010 to 2014 Analyzed by Trade of Worker J for Public Works Contracts from 2010 to 2014 Analyzed by Nature of Injury K for Public Works Contracts from 2010 to 2014 Analyzed by Part of Body Injured in Accidents L for Public Works Contracts from 2010 to 2014 Analyzed by Agent Involved in Accidents M for Public Works Contracts from 2010 to 2014 Analyzed by Unsafe Action Involved in Accidents N for Public Works Contracts from 2010 to 2014 Analyzed by Unsafe Condition Involved in Accidents O for Public Works Contracts from 2010 to 2014 Analyzed by Personal Factor Involved in Accidents L:\WPU\AS(WP)5\Annual Reports\2014 Annual Report\2014 Annual Report- 20150521.docx -11-