Labour Department strengthens regulation of Mandatory Safety Training Course providers
The Labour Department (LD) today (September 6) withdrew the recognition of L.R.B. Partnership Human Resources Limited (LRB), for conducting the Mandatory Basic Safety Training Course (Construction Work) (generally known as Green Card Course) under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance (Cap. 59) for workers employed at industrial undertakings engaging in construction work.
LRB was found to have breached the approval conditions attached to the conducting of the course. Multiple violations were found in two classes held by LRB in July this year, including insufficient teaching hours and one class being taught by an unapproved trainer. Additionally, the trainer did not follow the prescribed syllabus to provide practical training, and even allowed 21 trainees who had not completed the practical training to take the examinations and issued the Mandatory Basic Safety Training Course (Construction Work) certificates (Green Cards) to these trainees. On the directive of the LD, LRB has retrieved and cancelled 15 Green Cards, and the remaining six Green Cards that have not been retrieved have also been invalidated. The numbers of the not yet retrieved Green Cards are listed in the Annex.
After conducting a thorough investigation and evidence collection, and considering the explanations and representations made by LRB and the involved trainer, the LD considered the nature of the violations to be extremely serious and decided to withdraw their recognition. The involved trainer was also disqualified from teaching the relevant Green Card Course.
The LD attaches great importance to occupational safety and health (OSH). Pursuant to the risk-based principle, the LD formulates and adjusts corresponding strategies of inspection and enforcement, publicity and promotion as well as education and training in a timely manner to actively promote the OSH culture. Enhancing the quality of recognised safety training course providers (TCPs) and their trainers is a crucial part of the education and training strategy. Since April this year, the LD has conducted special inspection operations targeting these TCPs and increased manpower to inspect the TCPs to ensure the quality of the courses.
A spokesman for the LD said, "The LD is highly concerned about the quality of mandatory safety training courses. We will flexibly deploy manpower as needed to conduct special inspection operations to monitor whether the recognised TCPs comply with the approval conditions so as to ensure the standard of the training courses, allowing workers to receive appropriate OSH training and understand the importance of work safety. If the TCPs do not comply with the approved conditions set by the LD, their recognition to operate the relevant courses would be withdrawn. The LD will continue to closely monitor and improve the quality of the TCPs and their trainers, and strive to enhance the standard of OSH in Hong Kong."
In addition to explaining safety knowledge, legal requirements and work ethics to TCPs and their trainers through various channels, the LD also regularly co-organises online public lectures on "Professional Ethics and Conduct of Trainer of Mandatory Safety Training Courses" with the Occupational Safety and Health Council and the Independent Commission Against Corruption, for TCPs and trainers to enrol. The LD also held an "Online Seminar on Regulating Mandatory Safety Training Course Providers" on August 5 this year to allow the relevant providers and trainers to clearly understand the requirements and penalty mechanism of the approved conditions.
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Currently, there are 123 recognised TCPs for the Green Card Courses. The relevant course information is available on the LD's website (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/osh/content5.htm). Individuals who need to take the course may enrol with these recognised providers. For enquiries, please call the LD's Occupational Safety and Health Training Centre hotline at 2940 7064 or the department's occupational safety and health advisory service hotline at 2559 2297.