General Workplace Safety

Under the Occupational Safety and Health (Display Screen Equipment) Regulation, Cap. 509B, Display Screen Equipment (DSE) refers to any display screen which shows letters, numbers, characters or graphics, regardless of the display process involved. In PolyU setting, a DSE usually associates with a workstation, which refers to an assembly comprising a computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, chair, desk or other peripheral items.

Under this regulation, an employee is identified as a “DSE user” if they, by the nature of their work, are required to use display screen equipment for a prolonged period of time almost every day. The Code of Practice for Working with Display Screen Equipment issued by the Labour Department defines “a prolonged period of time almost every day” as:

• Continuously for at least 4 hours during a day; or
• Cumulatively for at least 6 hours during a day

It is the responsibility of individual departments to

• Identify DSE users within their departments
• Appoint a DSE assessor for the department
• Conduct required DSE assessment for each DSE user
• Take steps to reduce risks identified in DSE assessment report
• Keep DSE reports for a period of at least 2 years
• Provide a copy of DSE report to HSO for record

Electrical equipment is potentially hazardous and may cause electric shock if it is not properly used or maintained.
Below are essential tips for preventing electrical shocks in a workplace.

• Do not connect power extension units in series (daisy-chaining)
• Do not overload power outlets
• Inspect cords and equipment regularly, and report any defects immediately
• Use only equipment that is properly grounded or double-insulated
• Do not use any substandard electrical equipment or wiring
• Minimize use of extension units or adaptors
• Use only safe and approved types (BS1363 13A Type) of plugs, extension units or adapters, etc.
• Do not use electrical equipment or appliances near water or wet surfaces
• Never handle electrical equipment when your hands or the equipment is wet

Click here for more safety tips from EMSD for electrical appliances.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, Cap. 509, an employer must:

• Assess respective capabilities of employees when allocating tasks involving hazardous manual handling operations
• Provide adequate training to employees

In practice, individual departments must:

• Conduct a preliminary risk assessment of manual handling operations before they are first undertaken
• Avoid the need for employees to undertake hazardous manual handling operations as far as reasonably practicable
• Make a further assessment of the manual handling risks if the hazardous operations cannot be avoided
• Reduce risks as far as reasonably practicable, and arrange for preventive and protective measures
• Review and modify preliminary or further assessments if circumstances changed significantly or assessments become invalid
• Provide relevant information to employees on the risks as well as preventive and protective measures involved in hazardous manual handling operations
• Establish effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of preventive and protective measures

• If 10 or more employees are normally employed at a workplace at any one time to undertake manual handling operations, the department must also:

  • Keep a record of the assessment for a period of not less than 3 years
  • Appoint sufficient competent persons to assist in carrying out preventive and protective measures