Video cameras to be set up at Hong Kong job sites in confined spaces after 4 deaths in 10 months
- New Labour Department code of practice means employers will have to set up video cameras at ways in and out of confined spaces to ensure safety of workers
- Companies will also have to retain footage for a year after work is finished and make it available for inspection if required under new rules to come into force in November
Hong Kong contractors who send employees to work in manholes, underground sites or other confined spaces will from November have to set up video cameras at the entrances and exits to jobs to make sure safety precautions are followed under a new code of practice.
Employers will also have to retain video footage for a year after the work is completed and make it available for inspection if required under tougher rules announced on Friday.
The Labour Department said the new safety code would come into force on November 30 to allow time for the industry to prepare.
“The revised [code] requires proprietors or contractors to adopt technology to record videos at the entrance and exit of the confined space throughout the entire work period to monitor relevant personnel’s compliance with the safety precautions and to keep a record,” a department spokesman said.
“Considering the time required for the industry to furnish suitable equipment and make necessary arrangements for implementing all safety precautions, there will be a six-month grace period.
The rules also stipulate that contractors should set up a system to ensure that people working in confined spaces leave the area within a specified time frame.