Hong Kong Regulations

FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS (SAFETY OFFICERS AND SAFETY SUPERVISORS) REGULATIONS - REGULATION 15

Duties of safety officer

(Past version on 30/06/1997).

(1) The duty of a person employed as a safety officer shall be to assist the
proprietor of the industrial undertaking in promoting the safety and health of
persons employed therein, including for that purpose-

   (a)  advising the proprietor as to measures to be taken in the interest of
        the safety and health of persons employed in the industrial
        undertaking and, with the approval of the proprietor, implementing
        such measures;

   (b)  inspecting the industrial undertaking, or directing any person
        employed as a safety supervisor therein to inspect the industrial
        undertaking for the purpose of determining whether or not there is any
        machinery, plant, equipment, appliance or process or any description
        of work carried on in the industrial undertaking which is of such a
        nature as to be liable to cause risk of bodily injury to any person
        employed in an industrial undertaking;

   (c)  reporting the findings of any inspection carried out under
        sub-paragraph (b) to the proprietor and recommending what measures, if
        any, ought to be taken as a result of that inspection;

   (d)  assisting in the supervision of any person employed as a safety 
        supervisor in the industrial undertaking;

   (e)  advising the proprietor in the interest of the safety and health of
        persons employed in the industrial undertaking of any repairs or
        maintenance that ought to be carried out in respect of-

        (i)    any premises comprising the industrial undertaking;

        (ii)   any appliance, equipment, machinery or plant in use in the
               industrial undertaking;

   (f)  investigating and reporting to the proprietor, or causing to be
        investigated and reported to the proprietor, the circumstances of any
        accident, or dangerous occurrence in the industrial undertaking and
        making recommendations to the proprietor to prevent similar accidents
        or dangerous occurrences;

   (g)  investigating and reporting to the proprietor, or causing to be
        investigated and reported to the proprietor, the circumstances of the
        suffering of any bodily injury by any person employed in the
        industrial undertaking and making recommendations to the proprietor to
        prevent similar suffering of any bodily injury;

   (h)  investigating and reporting to the proprietor every fatal accident in
        the industrial undertaking and making recommendations to the
        proprietor to prevent similar fatal accidents;

   (i)  receiving, discussing and countersigning every report submitted to him
        under regulation 17(1)(b)(iv) by a person employed as a safety 
        supervisor; (L.N. 100 of 2002)

   (j)  on or before the last day in every month preparing and submitting to
        the proprietor a report as provided in paragraph (2); and (L.N. 100 of
        2002)

   (k)  advising the proprietor on the implementation of a safety management
        system in the industrial undertaking, including the duties listed
        below-

        (i)    to assist in establishing, revising and reviewing a safety and
               health policy of the industrial undertaking;

        (ii)   to assist in organizing a safety and health training programme;

        (iii)  to assist in devising in-house safety rules and regulations;

        (iv)   to assist in implementing safety and health plans, programmes,
               arrangements and measures;

        (v)    to assist in establishing a safety committee and implementing
               its recommendations;

        (vi)   to assist in job hazard analysis, evaluation of potential
               hazards and the identification of hazardous conditions and
               hazardous exposure; and

        (vii)  to assist in conducting safety promotion, health assurance and
               personal protection programmes. (L.N. 100 of 2002)

(2) A report submitted under paragraph (1)(j) shall be in the approved form.
(L.N. 352 of 1994) (Enacted 1986)