Revised safety codes for work in confined spaces gazetted

The Labour Department on Friday published a revised Code of Practice for Safety and Health at Work in Confined Spaces in the Gazette to enhance the health and safety of workers in confined spaces.

The stricter safety requirements followed a fatal accident at a West Kowloon construction site in September that took the lives of two workers, and an accident in Sha Tin last month where two sewer maintenance workers died. They were suspected to have died after inhaling toxic gas in confined spaces.

The major revisions of the code include the enhancement of requirements for proprietors' or contractors' supervision on confined space work; highlighting the factors for assessing whether a particular job constitutes underground pipework; adding a detailed template of the risk assessment form and listing out the setting of an air-monitoring alarm; and the update on the Permit-to-work Certificate template.

A department spokesman said the revised code requires proprietors or contractors to adopt technology to record videos at the entrance and exit of the confined space throughout the entire work period to monitor relevant personnel's compliance with the safety precautions and for record keeping.

Considering the time required for the industry to furnish suitable equipment and make necessary arrangements for implementing all safety precautions, the spokesman noted that there will be a six-month grace period, with the new code of practice taking effect on November 30.

"This Code of Practice for Safety and Health at Work in Confined Spaces has a special legal status. In criminal proceedings, if a relevant person fails to observe any provisions of this Code, that failure may be taken by the court as a relevant factor in determining whether or not a person has breached the relevant health and safety legislation." The Spokesman added.