Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance (Hong Kong Laws Chapter 59)
The “Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance” is a set of guidelines to protect the safety and health of industrial workers.
Scope
This ordinance applies to industrial undertakings, including: factories, construction sites, restaurants, cargo handling areas, maintenance workshops, and other industrial undertakings.
General Responsibilities
This ordinance assigns general responsibilities to the principal and others involved in industrial undertakings to ensure safety and health in the workplace.
a. Each principal must take necessary measures to ensure the safety and health of everyone employed in the industrial undertaking by:
– Providing and maintaining safe work equipment and procedures;
– Arranging tasks to ensure safe usage and work practices that do not pose risks;
– Offering guidance, training, and supervision to ensure workplace safety;
– Keeping a safe work environment;
– Ensuring safe access to and from the premises, including ensuring safe physical conditions.
b. Everyone involved in the industrial undertaking must:
– Take care of their own safety and health and that of others at the workplace;
– Use any equipment provided properly and follow safety instructions from the principal.
Reporting to the Workplace
– If you manage a factory or other industrial place (not including a construction site), you must tell the Commissioner for Labour using a specific form before starting operations.
– If any details about the workplace change (e.g., name, location, industrial processes), you must inform the Commissioner for Labour using a specific form.
– A contractor must inform the Commissioner in writing within 7 days after starting any construction work under the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations.
