H&S Topics

Accident Incident Investigation

Reporting an accident can help save lives, reduce the extent of property damage and eliminate or stabilize residual hazards at the scene if there is immediate and proper attention. Information collected from subsequent investigation is useful to risk assessments and to develop control measures for accident or incident prevention. Besides, it is a legal requirement to report workplace injuries to the Labour Department (LD) as stipulated under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, Cap. 282.

Biological Safety

Biological agents generally refer to living organisms or their products capable of causing ill health effects to humans. The handling of animals, microorganisms, DNA, and clinical specimens in laboratories is common source of exposure to biological agents. In this regard, laboratory personnel should follow relevant guidelines and safety precautions when handling biological agents. In PolyU, personnel must have attended training in biological safety (via online or classroom training) and passed an online test before they are allowed to work with biological agents. They should exercise relevant biological safety measures and precautions based on the biohazardous nature of the biological agents to be handled. These include good microbiological techniques, use of biosafety equipment and personal protective equipment, as well as proper disposal of biological or clinical waste.  For research projects involving use of biological agents, Principal Investigators shall obtain Biological Safety Approval from the Research Safety Sub-committee before commencement of research work. Research personnel should also observe biological safety related legislation regarding import of biological agents, handling of genetically modified organisms in open areas, and disposal of clinical waste.

Campus Event Safety

Various events are held on the University campus by different units every day, ranging from small-scale events, like setting up exhibition booths with display of promotional banners, to large-scale events, such as the Education Info Day, which may attract a large number of participants including our staff, students and the public. It is the responsibility of event organizers, event contractors, Campus Facilities and Sustainability Office (CFSO) and Health and Safety Office (HSO) to ensure risks throughout the whole course of the event — from setting up, operations to clearance — are properly managed and mitigated.

Chemical Safety

Safe handling of chemicals is crucial to the protection of our staff and students in the course of their research work and classes. Use of hazardous chemicals can pose a wide range of health and safety hazards to people exposed to them if they are not properly managed. HSO is responsible for ensuring: Provision of a safe working and learning environment Use of safe equipment and methods Utilization of suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) Maintenance of an up-to-date chemical inventory Proper handling of chemical waste Provision of essential chemical hazard information Delivery of proper training to staff and students

Construction Safety

Construction safety is a major concern in Hong Kong. According to accident statistics from the Labour Department, construction is the industry with the highest number of fatalities and is one of the top two industries with the most accidents in recent years. An effective construction safety management system and full compliance with the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance (Chapter 59) and its subsidiary regulations can help prevent accidents and improve construction safety performance. At PolyU, there are construction safety policy and management system in place to safeguard health and safety of our staff, students, visitors and the public. Campus Development Office (CDO) and Campus Facilities and Sustainability Office (CFSO) are responsible for managing safety of their contractors performing builder works, repair, maintenance, and additions and alternations (A&A) works of buildings at the University. Health and Safety Office (HSO) is responsible for monitoring safety performance of their contractors and providing safety advice. In the coming years, we will have many large-scale construction projects like Homantin Campus and new student residential halls in Kowloon Tong. Therefore, effective risk management is crucial to prevent accidents and incidents due to construction work.

Emergency Preparedness

Emergency, in general, means an immediate threat to life and/or property that requires immediate attention. It may affect anyone at any time and at any place. Each individual must learn the appropriate response protocols for a variety of emergency events. This will help save lives and minimize damage in the event of an emergency. Emergencies on campus may include: Crimes Electric shock Fall or collapse of building structures Fire Flooding Leakage of town gas Lift failure Medical emergencies Spillage of hazardous substances The above list is not exhaustive and individual departments should have their own plans for responding to possible emergencies arising from their activities. HSO can provide assistance in developing these plans. Reporting Emergencies In the event of an emergency, first move to a safe location away from danger. Then, report the incident to Campus Control Centre promptly either by phone, emergency phone or in person to the 24-hour manned Campus Control Centre located at P111. Campus Control Centre (24-hour manned) Emergency line: 2766 7999  General line: 2766 7666 In case of life-threatening emergencies, please call 999 directly to contact local government emergency services. Then, notify Campus Control Centre as soon as possible.

Environmental Hygiene

Environmental Hygiene refers to practical control measures to improve basic environmental conditions affecting quality of human health. HSO provides expertise and assistance in the following areas:   Pest Control: While effectiveness of pest (e.g. rats and mosquitoes) control programmes remains the responsibility of CFSO’s pest control contractor, HSO renders advice to CFSO and PolyU departments on health and safety impacts associated with pest control measures and related matters including: Coordination and liaison with Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) on pest control, training and environmental issues Review of Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for pesticide products Provision of safety advice on pesticide applications on campus   Drinking Water: HSO regularly arranges testing of water samples collected from drinking fountains and water dispensers on campus through an accredited laboratory. Test results are compared with the standards prescribed in World Health Organization's (WHO) Drinking Water Guidelines. In addition, HSO advises departmental users on replacement and cleaning of water filters and water dispensers, as well as working closely with users to address drinking water quality issues. IAQ Pre-Occupation Assessment (Capital and A&A Project): HSO conducts Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) pre-occupation assessments for newly renovated offices, classrooms, lecture theaters and meeting rooms to ensure IAQ parameters are within acceptable criteria before handing over to user departments.

Fire Safety

Fire safety is crucial as it can protect lives of people and prevent damage to property. In Hong Kong, the Fire Services Ordinance (Chapter 95), the Dangerous Goods Ordinance (Chapter 295) and the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (Chapter 572) and their subsidiary regulations and Part III of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulation are the major fire safety requirements for building owners, occupants and employers. A building with good fire safety has Fire services installations including automatic sprinkler system, fire hydrant and hose reel system, and manual fire alarm system; Fire safety construction including fire-resisting construction and means of escape; and A fire safety management plan including inspection and maintenance of fire service installations, fire safety training and information for occupants and fire emergency teams, housekeeping plans and fire action plans.   At PolyU, a fire safety policy and a fire safety management system are in place to ensure fire safety of our buildings, construction sites, staff, students and visitors.   Campus Development Office (CDO) is responsible for design and installation of fire service installations in campus buildings. Campus Facilities and Sustainability Office (CFSO) is responsible for inspection and maintenance of installations and fire drills. Health and Safety Office (HSO) takes the roles of monitoring and advising on fire safety issues and provides fire safety awareness training to staff and students.   To test the University’s fire action plans and fire response of people, CFSO and HSO organize internal fire drills and joint fire drills with Hong Kong Fire Services Department respectively in various campus buildings on a regular basis. Recently, PolyU has implemented a Fire Warden Arrangement aiming at achieving fast and complete evacuation of occupants from a building in case of a real fire.

Food Safety

All food prepared, served, sold, or given away at PolyU catering outlets or for PolyU events must meet or exceed all applicable food safety and hygiene standards and requirements including the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) and the Food Safety Ordinance (Cap. 612). HSO serves the following roles in relation to food safety: Advise the Catering Committee and caterers on food safety and hygiene-related issues Provide comments on food safety and hygiene-related issues for PolyU campus events or enquiries from departments Conduct periodic and unannounced safety inspections for PolyU catering outlets Recommend improvements for the Food Hygiene Auditing and Monitoring Programme Investigate suspected food poisoning cases Promote and share best practices of food safety and hygiene to PolyU caterers

General Workplace Safety

The University is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our staff, students and visitors. Besides, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, Cap. 509, an employer must, as far as reasonably practicable, ensure the safety and health of all employees when they are at work. As such, the University has established various health and safety management programs. Key areas include:

Laboratory Safety

Each laboratory environment is unique and poses various sets of hazards, which may include biological, chemical, fire, physical, radiological hazards and others. The University has established the Laboratory Safety Management Policies and a framework as well as a series of manuals, guidelines, and codes of practice. All laboratory personnel (e.g. principal investigators, laboratory in-charges, and research personnel) should take steps to learn these requirements and ensure proper implementation in their working areas. Laboratory Design Each laboratory is designed and constructed with proper safety facilities and equipment to meet user requirements identified in the design stage. In other words, existing safety provisions (e.g. fixed fire services installations (FSIs), ventilation systems, fume cupboards, emergency systems) of individual laboratory may limit the nature, types or scales of laboratory work to be done there. Therefore, if a laboratory user plans to introduce new equipment or new research activity to their laboratory, they must carefully assess potential risks from the change, and evaluate if existing safety provisions are adequate and proper. Existing layout of the laboratory, access ways and surrounding environment may also pose concerns for safe delivery, installation and/or maintenance of the new equipment and/or associated parts or materials to be used. Users are advised to consult HSO, if necessary. Under the current Space Allocation Policy, departments shall inform the Campus Development and Space Allocation Committee (CDSAC) if they plan to change the purpose of use of any room (including laboratories) allocated to them. CDSAC will coordinate with CDO, CFSO and HSO for follow up. General Laboratory Safe Practices Assess risks from your laboratory activities and implement proper safety measures before commencing work Check and ensure current safety provisions and emergency equipment in your laboratory allow safe conduct of work and are functioning properly Establish Safe Operating Procedure (SOP) Ensure all laboratory personnel have proper safety training and are registered with HSO Note: All laboratory users (except undergraduates working under direct supervision by a competent laboratory supervisor) must complete proper laboratory safety training (classroom or online), pass an online test and register with HSO before being allowed to work in a laboratory involving use of chemicals, biological agents, ionizing radiation sources (e.g. X-ray, radioactive substances) or non-ionizing radiation sources (e.g. Class 3b or above lasers, UV, radiofrequencies) Conduct regular self-inspections to identify and rectify potential hazards Maintain regular housekeeping checks Note: Hazardous substances must be properly stored in accordance with their compatibilities while keeping storage quantities to a minimum. Unwanted chemicals should be disposed of properly   Our Scope of Services HSO supports laboratories by executing the following functions: Conducts both regular (announced) and irregular (unannounced) inspections Provides advice on laboratory safety design Provides advice on safe use, storage and disposal of hazardous substances Provides advice relating to use and maintenance of personal protective equipment (PPE) Delivers health and safety training for laboratory users Maintains an up-to-date chemical inventory Provides essential chemical hazard information Coordinates licenced contractors for disposal of chemical wastes

Laser Safety

Laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation), a kind of non-ionizing radiation, is widely used in laboratories for research and teaching purposes at the University. Laser differs from other sources of light by its monochromaticity, coherence and low divergence. These special characteristics allow a laser beam to be focused to a very small spot, achieving very high irradiance. Exposure to a high-power laser beam, even for a very short duration, may cause serious and irreversible damage to our eyes or skin, with eyes being more susceptible to damage. This is because a laser beam at a wavelength between 400 and 1,400 nm (known as retinal hazard region), after entering human eyes, will be focused by the lens to a very small spot on the retina, thus amplifying intensity of the laser beam by 100,000 times. On the other hand, there are many other hazards (known as non-beam hazards) associated with use of laser equipment but not directly related to exposure to the laser beam itself. These hazards include fire, hazardous vapor or mists from targeting materials, toxic gases from lasing mediums, electric shock, cryogens, etc. These hazards can be even more dangerous than beam hazards, representing most reported fatalities. Control of High-power Lasers To ensure safe use of high-power laser equipment (i.e. Class 3b or above), the University requires Principal Investigator or Laboratory in-charge to: Register all high-power laser equipment with HSO Ensure users of high-power laser equipment complete proper laser safety training and register with HSO Establish Safe Operating Procedure (SOP) Implement proper safety measures including laser beam enclosures, safety interlocks and laser safety goggles Obtain Research Safety Approval from the Research Safety Sub‑committee for research projects involving use of a high-power laser source

Occupational Hygiene

HSO aims to identify and evaluate potential occupational hygiene issues arising at PolyU that may cause illness, injury or discomfort among staff, students and visitors. The goal is to reduce risk of hazardous exposures, ensure regulatory compliance, and improve user satisfaction through proper area layouts, ventilation design and work practices. HSO provides expertise and assistance in the following areas: Air quality assessment and investigation Occupational exposure evaluation Noise exposure monitoring Heat exposure assessment Lighting assessment Respiratory protection management Ergonomics, including: Display Screen Equipment (DSE) assessment Manual Handling

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness

An influenza pandemic is a global spread of disease caused by a novel influenza virus against which the human population has low or no immunity. This spread of disease has potentially devastating health, economic, and social impacts, particularly for developing countries which suffer a higher disease burden and are more vulnerable. The University closely monitors the response level of the SAR Government regarding pandemic influenza, along with other communicable diseases, and stays vigilant with public health measures. If the situation warrants, the University may set up a task force to monitor pandemic developments, assess impacts on university activities and coordinate efforts between internal and external parties. Health and Safety Office (HSO) provides secretariat support to the Central Management Team when a task force is set up, and coordinates case management. Individual departments should review their departmental plans on regular basis to cope with crises arising from communicable diseases or pandemic situations, and maintain stocks of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for operations, teaching and research activities. It is important to take note of the following: Refrain from returning to office or campus and seek medical attention immediately if feeling unwell Notify respective Heads of Unit if contracting or suspecting contraction of communicable diseases, including notifiable infectious diseases. Head of Unit may contact University Health Services for further advice Follow specific procedures if dead wild birds are found on campus: Avoid touching it or its droppings, as it may carry avian flu virus Notify Campus Control Centre immediately via emergency line (2766 7999) Note: Campus Control Centre will cordon off the adjacent area to prevent public contact before they call the Government hotline (1823) to arrange for collection. Campus Facilities and Sustainability Office (CFSO) or Campus Facilities Management (CFM) staff will disinfect the adjacent area completely after removal of the bird

Personal Protective Equipment

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is regarded only as the last resort to protect the safety and health of individuals when other means of protection such as elimination of hazards, isolation of hazards and engineering control are not feasible or fully effective. Generally speaking, PPE covers the following protection: Eye protection Face protection Fall protection Foot protection Hand protection Head protection Hearing protection Respiratory protection Skin protection Regulations from the Labour Department (LD) govern the use of PPE at work. At PolyU, a PPE Policy is in place to ensure PPE is properly selected, used and maintained. Individual departments and offices are responsible for: Assessing the need for PPE based on specific workplace hazards Purchasing appropriate PPE for their personnel Providing proper training to staff on equipment usage Monitoring the correct use of PPE by their staff Maintaining PPE in good working condition In addition, HSO provides technical specifications for PPE, advises on PPE-related issues and arranges periodic training on the proper use of PPE, including respirators and fall-arresting devices.

Prevention of Heat Stroke

The hot and humid summer in Hong Kong poses an increased risk of heat stroke to individuals working in indoor and outdoor areas lacking air conditioning. In addition, personnel required to work near heat sources or heat-generating facilities are also at risk. Prevention of heat stroke is crucial to protecting our students and staff involved in hot environments. To prevent heat stroke, risk assessments must be conducted, with appropriate measures taken based on assessment results. Heat stress risk factors include environmental factors (e.g. ambient temperature, relative humidity, heat radiation and air flow), work factors (e.g. physical workload, operational duration, personal protective equipment and clothing) and personal factors. HSO provides health and safety advice on control measures to prevent heat stroke and advises on heat stress risk assessment issues affecting PolyU staff, students and visitors. 

Radiation Safety

Use of radioactive substances and X-ray equipment is common across the University for research and teaching purposes. Both are sources of ionizing radiation and may cause injury or long-term health effects if not properly controlled. Ionizing radiation may be in the form of electromagnetic wave or particle radiation, with energy high enough to remove an electron from an atom to create an electrically charged ion directly or indirectly in its passage through matter. Examples include alpha particles, beta particles, gamma ray, X-ray. It may be emitted from naturally-occurring or man-made radioactive substances, or artificially generated by irradiating apparatus (e.g. X-ray machine). In HKSAR, use of ionizing radiation sources is strictly regulated through the Radiation Ordinance Cap. 303 and its subsidiary regulations. A valid licence must be obtained from the Radiation Board for the import, export, possession or use of radioactive substances or irradiating apparatus. Specific statutory requirements also apply to users of various radiation sources.

Research Safety

The University aims to provide a healthy and safe environment for conducting research activities, ensuring that such work does not impose unacceptable risk to University personnel. It is the responsibility of Principal Investigators (PIs) to ensure research activities under their supervision are conducted in compliance with relevant regulations, safety standards and the University Health and Safety Guidelines. PIs are required to implement all necessary research and laboratory safety requirements, ensuring that all research team members are fully trained and able to demonstrate proficiency to safely perform assigned research duties. Regardless of funding sources, research projects involving potential safety issues in chemical, biological and ionizing or non-ionizing radiation areas must obtain research safety approval from the PolyU Research Safety Sub-Committee before commencement of research activities. The approval process normally takes about 4 weeks to complete. Please be aware that incomplete information will lead to delay in approval.   PIs and delegates can submit research safety approval applications via the Research Safety Approval System (RSAS). Instructions for PI and delegate registration can be found below: