Design for Safety — Safety Provisions for Residential Building Repair and Maintenance Work in Hong Kong

摘要

Owing to the nature of the Hong Kong construction industry, the number of occupational accidents related to construction trades is relative high. For instance, in the first three quarters of 2005, there were 12,719 industrial accidents in Hong Kong, of which 2,587 accidents occurred in the construction industry. In terms of fatalities, there were 23 industrial fatalities in the first three quarters of 2005, of which 20 were construction-related. Of these construction accident statistics, a significant number of accidents were related to building repair and maintenance work. A current study on construction accidents related to falls from elevation, during public sector projects, illustrates that 29% of the constructions accidents from 1995-2004 was related to building repair and maintenance (BRM) work. However, it is believed that the number of construction accidents relating to private residential buildings would be ever more alarming as repair and maintenance are necessary in this area owing to the general aging of building blocks. Hence there is an urgent need to improve the existing construction safety performance in construction work related to BRM. Falls of persons from elevation and falling objects are major types of occupational accidents frequently occurring in repair and maintenance work involving the external walls of residential buildings in Hong Kong. This research focuses on an investigation into the feasibility and the type of safety provisions that can be incorporated during the design stage of repair and maintenance work for residential buildings in Hong Kong. The current approach and the main attributes of the types of safety provisions for BRM work will be discussed based on a comprehensive literature review. The likely impact of the study is also addressed.