Safety Handbook for

Construction Site Workers

Occupational Safety and Health Branch

Labour Department
This handbook is issued free of charge and can be obtained
from offices of the Occupational Safety and Health
Branch, Labour Department. It can also be download from
http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/b69.htm. For enquiries
about the addresses and telephone numbers of the offices,
please call 2559 2297.

This handbook may be freely reproduced except for advertising,

endorsement or commercial purposes. Please acknowledge
the source as‘Safety Handbook for Construction Site Workers’
,
published by the Labour Department.
 Safety Handbook for
Construction Site Workers
 Introduction

Most accidents can be prevented by taking simple

measures or adopting proper working procedures. This
handbook is intended to outline important issues on safety
and health that should be paid attention to on construction
sites for easy reference by the workers. If we work carefully
and take appropriate safety measures, there will definitely
be fewer work injury cases, and our sites will become a safe
and secure place to work in.

The Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, which

came into operation on 23 May 1997, covers most workplaces
in order to protect the safety and health of employees at
work. Other legislation applicable to construction sites
includes the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance
and its subsidiary legislation, particularly the Construction
Sites (Safety) Regulations.

Employees' Responsibilities
Employees should cooperate with their employers and
other persons in complying with the safety legislation and
guidelines, and should not do anything to endanger
themselves and other persons.

1
 Basic Rules for Safety

Tidy up construction sites

■ Keep passages clear all the time.
■ Sort out materials and pile them up safely. The stacks should not be
too high.
■ Beware of floor openings and ensure that they are fenced or covered.
■ Remove refuse as soon as possible.
■ Provide sufficient lighting.
■ Familiarize with the location and the operation of fire-fighting equipment.

Safety measures
■ Before you operate a machine, ensure that the dangerous part of the
machine has been installed with a guard.
■ Avoid going to any area with insufficient lighting as there may be some
dangerous places which have not been provided with fencing.
■ Keep vigilant all the time and watch out for moving cranes, hooks or
other lifting equipment.
■ Before you use any electrical installation or tool, check the condition of
its electric cables.
■ Avoid dragging electric cables on the ground or allowing the cables to
come into contact with water.
■ Use electrical tools installed with an earth leakage circuit breaker.
■ Use and handle chemicals with care.

Personal Safety
■ Wear protective equipment.
■ Do not drink or take drugs while working.
■ Pay attention to personal hygiene.
■ Do not play in the workplace.
■ Report to your supervisor immediately if you notice any unsafe condition.

2
Emergency Response to Accidents

You should have a good understanding of your working environment

and the instructions given by your supervisor. When evacuation
is required in an emergency, you should keep calm and find out :
■ What dangerous situation the alarm refers to.
■ The routes for evacuation.
■ The safe place that you should go to as designated by the company.

When someone is found seriously injured, you should :

■ Keep calm.

■ Seek help immediately.

■ Accompany the injured person.

■ Assist in the immediate rescue work as far as possible.

■ Call the site safety staff.

■ Do not try to move the injured person unless it is really necessary

to do so.
■ Do not tamper with the accident scene while waiting for the arrival

of the investigation team.

When a fire breaks out, you should remember :

■ Put out the fire with a fire extinguisher if it is a small fire.

■ If the blaze is out of control, do not try to extinguish the fire on your

own. Call the Fire Services Department right away.

Emergency telephone numbers :

■ Always pay attention to the emergency telephone numbers posted

on the notice board in the site office.

3
‘Tips’for Workplace Safety
Falsework, scaffold and fencing
Falsework
d in falsework
If you are engage
ould:
operation, you sh
■ Check wh et he r the falsework is
ance with the
erected in accord
design.
■ Make sure that
the falsework is
securely erected.
■ Check whethe
r the struts of the
cure.
falsework are se d
■ Ensure that the
props are erecte
nged at a
vertically and arra
in a row.
suitable distance
■ Report to your
supervisor when
tion is found.
any unsafe situa

Scaffold
■ Do not use scaffolds un
less they have
been erected by traine
d workmen and under
the supervision of a co
■ Do
mpetent person.
not use a scaffold unles
s it has
been inspected and ce
rtified safe by
a competent person be
■ Str
fore use.
ictly follow the instructi
ons of a
competent person. Do
not alter the
scaffold unless authoriz
ed to do so.
Do not work on an unfin
■ Wh
ish ed scaffold.
en it is necessary to wo
rk on a mobile
scaffold, lock the whee
ls of the scaffold
before you start worki
■ Do
ng .
not work on a scaffold
unless it has been
provided with a suitable
working platform.

4
 Fencing
■
Do not w
ork in a d
unless it angerou
s floor ed s place
openings ges and
have bee
secure fe n installe
n cing. d with
■
If you noti
ce any d
that have angerous
not been places
fencing installed
or the fe with
damage ncing ha
d, reinsta s been
fencing. ll or repa
If this is ir the
capabilit beyond
y, inform y o ur
supervis your
or at onc
e.

n,
Ladder constructio
d d e r w h ic h is of good g th .
■ Use a la quate stren
rial and ade
sound mate before usin
g it
■ Examine
the ladder te rv a ls. 1M
r in
t it at regula
and inspec leve l a n d
■ Place the
ladder on a
.
firm footing ropriate
r at an app
fastened
th e la d d e securely
■ Place

angle. r has a
■ Ensure th
at the ladde
pper end
ngth. The u
sufficient le e at least
r should b
of the ladde against
tr e a b o ve the lan gd in ４
1m e
dder leans.
which the la unless its
■ Do not u
se a ladder
s been
wer end ha
upper or lo d by
ed or se rec u
securely fix
rker.
another wo l installation
s
■ If there a
re electrica d d e rs . １
tal la
e a rb y, d o not use me s o r
n 2 metr e
■ If work is
carried out a suitable
the flo use
o r,
more above
tform.
working pla
5
 Equipment and Electricity
d Gear
Lifting Appliance an ance unless traine
d. In the case of a
crane,
ing appli
■ Do not operate a lift
qu ire d. ain sling,
a certificate is re ch as hook, shackle or ch
ing ge ar su
■ Before using lift
tear.
re is any wear and
check whether the d to be lifted .
■ Check the weigh
t of the loa
rki ng loa d of
■ Do not exceed
the safe wo
pliance or lifting gear.
a lifting ap
■ Adopt the corre
ct lifting method.
gear
■ Do not use a lifting
appliance or lifting
rtified
examined and ce
unless it has been
t examiner.
safe by a competen
■ Do not use a lifting
ap pliance unless it
repaired and
has been regularly
mpetent person.
maintained by a co
pair is allowed.
No unauthorized re s
■ Follow the safe
working instruction
r of a lifting ap pli ance.
of the manufacture sp en de d load.
ath any su
■ Do not work bene

Material Hoist
■ Do not ride on a material hoist.
■ Do not operate a material hoist with
out prior proper
training.
■ Do
not exceed the safe working load of
■ Do
a material hoist.
not use a material hoist unless it has
been examined
and certified safe by a competent exam
■ Do
iner .
not use a material hoist unless its gate
s have been
installed with an effective interlocking
safety system.
The hoist is only operable after all the
gates have been
closed.
■ Do
not use a material hoist unless it has
been repaired
and maintained by a competent pers
on. No unauthorized
No carriage
of Persons repair is allowed.
■ Do
not put loose materials into receptacles
unless properly
secured.
■ Ensu
re good communication with the operator
of a material
hoist. All signals should be underst
ood and followed.

6
 Loadshifting M
achinery
■
Unless you ar
e a worker co
do not work in ncerned,
an area where
an excavator, a loader,
etc. is in oper
■
Do not operat at ion.
e any loadshift
machinery with ing
out training an
approval. d
■
Operators of
forklift trucks,
bulldozers, lo
aders, excava
trucks or lorrie tors,
s should posse
appropriate ce ss
rtificates.

Portable
Power T
■
Do not ool
use a p
(such a o rtable p
s saw, g ower to
rinder a ol
unless it n d drill)
s dange
been eff rous pa
ectively rts have
■
Place th g uarded
e electr .
hose of ic cable
a tool a and
position t an app
ed Fixing Tool to avoid ropriate
Cartridge-operat hazards
.
tripping
cartridge-
■Do not operate a
ol unless you have
operated fixing to
certificate.
possessed a valid
■ Wear suitable
eye and ear
operating a
protectors while
d fixing tool.
cartridge-operate ol
■ Use a cartridge
-operated fixing to
with great care.

7
 Air
Compressed r specified
ed air only fo
■ Use compress
purposes. ed air
■ Do not use
any compress
devices
m en t, p ip es and re vant
le
equi p ction and
th ey ar e of good constru
unless rtified safe
amined and ce
have been ex ore use.
t examiner bef
by a competen ly.
■ Fix the conn
ectors proper
■ Do not twis
t the pipes.
ssed air
t ab us e th e use of compre
■ Do no
a brush or a
urpose. Use
for cleaning p ust from
r to remove d
vacuum cleane
skin.
clothing and

Electric T
ool
■
Before us
ing an ele
tool and it ctric tool,
s plug and c check the
■
Do not us onnecting
e a dama cable.
■
Do not us ged tool.
e an elec
its connec tric tool u
ting cable nless
protected is well
.
■
Do not us
e an elec
its metal c tric tool u
asing is e nless
power su arthed an
pply is pro d its
an earth le vided with
akage cir
■
Do not re cuit break
pair or alt er.
installation e r any electr
unless co ical
■
If you mee mpetent to
t any fault do so.
it to your or problem
superviso , report
r immedia
tely.

8
Workplace Safety and Fire Prevention
Excavations
■
Keep the fenc
e on all sides
an excavation of
intact.
■
Use safe acce
ss for ingress
and egress.
■
Do not pile so
il or any other
materials at th
e edge of an
excavation.
■
Make sure th
at a trench is
securely shor
ed before
working in it.

tting
Flame Cu
Flashback arrestors
ing and ing
Gas Weld u ipment fo
r gas weld
th e e q atta ed
in
■ Do not
use you have
u n le s s ificate.
or flame c
uttin g
d h o ld a valid cert
an
f 18 years nless it
the age o g a s cylinder u
a n y rs.
■ Do not
u s e ck arresto
fi tt e d w it h flashba n t.
has been me
tive equip
a r p e rs o nal protec
■ We
ce clean.
■ Keep th
e workpla
ishers
■ Place fi
re extingu
ch.
within rea rs in an
■ Keep g
a cylinde
s
secure
t p o s ition and
up ri g h rturning.
p e rl y to avoid ove
it pro etected,
■ If gas le
akage is d
rvisor
your supe
report it to
ly.
immediate

9
 Fire Risk . However,
is a lw ays a fire risk
The re reduced,
h a n c e s o f fire can be
the c do when
yo u w ill kn ow what to
and
out if you:
a fire breaks place clean
■ Always ke
ep the work
and tidy. d tools that
■ Handle m
achinery an
r heat
te sparks o
may genera
carefully. naked
■ Do not sm
oke or use
ere
ny area wh
flames in a lo si ve
and exp
flammable
are sto .
re d
substances ers are
w w h e re fire extinguish
■ Kno
re used.
how they a
located and embly for
■ Know the
place of ass
tion.
fire evacua

Public Safety
■ Pay attention to
public safety.
Members of the
public are often
unaware of or do
not understand
the work carried
out on
construction sites
and the risks
involved.
■ Ta
ke great care to pr
event the fall
of materials from
height.
■ Do
not stack materia
ls on floor
edges or on scaf
folds.

10
 posal
Waste Dis nwanted
a ll w a s tes, and u
■ Dispos e of at
m u s t b e disposed
materials .
ted place
a designa of the
fy y o u r s upervisor
■ Noti
separate
nt for the
requireme l or
f chemica
disposal o .
le wastes
inflammab k s with nails
■ Do not
leave plan
geways.
on passa

Safety Superv
isors
■
Their responsi
bility is to assi
others to wor st
k smoothly
and safely.
■
They have re
ceived specifi
safety training c
and are
important mem
bers of the
construction
team.
■
They have leg
al responsibili
or liability for ty
the overall sa
of the construc fety
tion site.
■
You should g
et to know yo
safety supervi ur
sor.

11
 Personal Safety and Hygiene

Eye Protection
inly take
■ A wise worker will certa
ight.
good care of his eyes
■ A small fragm en t ma y cause
nc es if it
serious conseque
enters one's eyes.
■ When there is a risk
of eye
rete
injury, such as in conc
ing ab ras ive
breaking or us
ld we ar
wheels, you shou
s.
suitable eye protector
■ Take proper care of
the eye
you.
protectors provided to
■ Replace dama ge d or de fective
me dia tel y.
eye protectors im ar, and keep clean.
■ Ensure that eye pro
tec tor s are comfortable to we
not put it on your head
■ Use eye protectors
for eye protection ─ do
.
or hang it on your neck , but not your eyes.
■ Bear in mind tha t ey e pro tectors are replaceable

Noise
■
Wear ear pro
tectors in area
with high nois s
e levels.
■
Properly wea
r ear protector
according to s
the manufactu
instructions. re r's
■
Do not reuse
disposable ea
plugs. r
■
Clean ear pro
tectors regular
ly.

12
 Personal Protective
Equipment
■ For your own safety
and interest, use the
protective equipme personal
nt provided by your
■ W
ear gloves when ha employer.
ndling or contacting
chemicals.
■ Re
member to wear a
mask when working
in a dusty environme
nt.
■ W
ear eye and ear pr
otectors whenever
necessary.
■ W
ear a safety harnes
s and secure it to
a safe anchorage po
int when working at
height. A bamboo
scaffold is not a sa
anchorage point, so fe
do not fasten the
safety harness to it.
■ W
ear safety shoes to
■ Co
prevent foot injury.
nsult your superviso
r if in doubt.

First Aid
■
If you sustain
an injury or
feel not well w
hile at work,
even if it is m
inor, go to
the first aid ro
om right away
for medical tr
eatment and
notify your su
pervisor.
■
Put the case
on record.

t
Safety Helme
helmet on a
■ Wear a safety
construction
site.
rn ess of the
急救
■ Keep the ha

helmet clean
and make su
re First Aid
l.
that it fits wel
■ Do no t d ril l an y holes on the
g.
it for poundin
helmet or use

13
Manual Handling Operations
as far as
■ Avoid manual handling operations
of inju ry.
possible to minimize the risk
■ Estimate the weight of the load
.
■ Lift an object with a corr ect pos ture.
■ Wear suitable prot ecti ve equ ipm ent.
Put on gloves as far as pos sibl e
to protect your hands from
any cut, scratch or puncture,
and wear safety boots or shoes
to prevent injury to toes by
heavy falling objects.
■ Seek assistance from someon
e
in lifting a load if necessary.

Personal Hyg
iene
■
Keep yourself
clean.
■
Wash hands
before meals
and after usin
g the toilet.
■
Dress tidily an
d in protective
clothing.

rugs
Alcohol and D
cohol, or take
■ Do not drink al
work.
drugs, while at due
■ If you need
to take drugs
ort it to yo ur
to illness, rep
supervisor.

14
Occupational Safety and Health Enquiry Service

： 2559 2297
（auto-recording after office hours）

： 2915 1410

： enquiry@labour.gov.hk

： http:// www.labour.gov.hk

Information on the services offered by the

Occupational Safety and Health Council can
be obtained through hotline 2739 9000.

15
This Edition 3/2004
3/2004 - 4 - B69b