CITA steps up safety training

THE increasing number of accidents at construction sites has not only alarmed the public but also the Construction Industry Training Authority (CITA), which is actively promoting the importance of industrial safety among its students.

CITA, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year, is the territory's major organisation for training construction personnel. It offers about 60 courses to cater to the different needs of the booming construction industry.

Speaking at CITA's graduation cum prize presentation ceremony held recently at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, chairman Chan Ka-kui said it was important to spread the message of industrial safety among its graduates.

'As our graduates will soon be actually working at construction sites, I would like to encourage them to put into practice what they have learned about industrial safety from the training centres.

'It is not only the responsibility of employers and the Government to observe industrial safety laws. Workers should also follow safety measures.' Since 1975, CITA has been producing more than 20,000 construction workers, and this year, 3,343 graduates will spread the message of 'safety in the workplace'. About a third of the graduates are students of basic craft courses which offer modules such as plumbing and pipe-fitting, construction plant maintenance and repairs and electrical installation.

Hong Kong Housing Authority chairman Rosanna Wong Yick-ming said 'serious training' was the key to success for the construction industry and CITA was the major provider of such training.