Safety Management System (Factories & Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation)

The Labour Department of the Government of HKSAR has put into effect on 1 April 2002 the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation, FIU(SM). It is imposed on the factories, contractors and other designated undertakings with staff of 50 or more. A set of 14 safety management system elements is specified in the Schedule 4 of the Regulation. Contractors and proprietors in relation to construction sites, shipyards, factories, and other designated industrial undertakings (e.g. generation and transmission of electricity, town gas or LPG and those involved in the handling of containers) are applicable when no. of workers (including subcontractors) is equal to or over 50. Safety Management System elements specified by the Regulation include : 1) safety policy 2) safety structure 3) safety training 4) in-house safety rules 5) inspection programme 6) use of personal protective equipment 7) accident investigation 8) emergency preparedness 9) evaluation, selection and control of sub-contractors 10) safety committees 11) evaluation of job related hazards 12) Promotion of safety and health awareness 13) Accident control 14) Protection from occupational health hazards Organizations of 100 or more workers are required to implement the above 14 elements and perform safety audits by Registered Safety Auditors (RSAs) on a six-month basis (for contractors) and on a twelve-month basis (for factories or others). Organizations of 50 to 99 workers are required to implement the first 8 elements and perform safety reviews by Safety Review Officers on a six-month basis (for contractors) and on a twelve-month basis (for factories or others).