ISA HK/China --- Guidance of the Labour Dept of the HKSAR Govt on Tree Work with Ropes & Hardnesess (香港特区政府 劳工署 对 使用绳索攀树工作 的指引)

This is an important message for our Tree Workers. Please read it carefully!!! 对树艺工作者, 本文是重要信息, 请细阅!!!



国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CNzh-CN) , 亦可查閱 "百度博客" (http://hi.baidu.com/%B9%FA%BC%CA%CA%F7%C4%BE%D1%A7%BB%E1/blog ) 以取得本文翻绎本和其他文章。本分会的发表文章都已放弃版权, 任何人都可以自由转载作为教育目的, 但不能作为商业目的盈利。如有查询, 请电邮至 egc@netvigator.com 。

*** Our weekly Station Mail is for the information of Station Members only, but Station Mail has given up copyright & can be freely circulated. For administrative reasons, comments from outsiders are usually not entertained & may be circulated within our system locally & overseas. Please note Station Mail is sometimes given in Blog at http://isahkchina.blogspot.com in English, although images are usually not attached due to size. ***

Dear Station Members,

Further to our Station Mail of 14.9.2011 challenging Tree Work without ropes & harnesses, but with ladders & lifting platforms alone, the matter has gone all the way to the Chief Secretary Office in the HKSAR Govt. Through their help, we have obtained a reply form the Labour Dept on 29.9.2011 of below:


----- Original Message -----


From: DSO-HQ@labour.gov.hk


To: Sammy Au


Cc: cso@cso.gov.hk


Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 5:24 PM


Subject: Re: ISA HK/China --- Tree Work without Ropes & harnesses


Dear Mr. Sammy AU,


Thank you for your email of 14 September 2011 addressed to the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office concerning tree work safety, and your further email of 21 September 2011 on the same subject.


The Labour Department is highly concerned about the work-at-height safety of workers. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance (Cap. 509), contractors or employers (including those undertaking tree work) shall provide and maintain a safe system of work to ensure the safety and health at work of their employees. Where any work at height is involved, the contractor or employer shall, among others, conduct a pre-work risk assessment by a competent person to identify and evaluate risks involved and determine the most suitable, and safe, work method for the job. A
specific method statement for the work should be prepared and properly documented.

In determining the work method, the following hierarchy of control measures should be adopted -

Work on or from ground and avoid working at height wherever possible.


Where work cannot be safely done on or from ground, use elevating work platforms or suitable scaffolds as safe means of access and support for the work.


Where use of elevating work platforms or scaffolds is not practicable, use of rope access or other work positioning techniques may be considered.


If you have any further questions on the matter, please feel free to
contact me at 2852 4960.


Yours sincerely,


NG Ho-wang
for Commissioner for Labour


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are truly grateful for the help of the Chief Secretary Office for their interest & re-direction of our enquiry to the Labour Dept. On the same hand, the Labour Dept has given a clear indication for allowing Rope Access (i.e. tree climbing with ropes & harnesses), in the event that lifting platforms or scaffolds are impractical. This is an important milestone for the development of tree climbing in HK.

As for the "competent person" who would perform the "pre-work risk assessment", ISA HK/China has recommended our Certified Arborist, or even better, our Certified Tree Worker (www.isa-arbopr.com) to the Labour Dept & the Chief Secretary Office as the qualified personnel due to their training & testing. After all, would an ordinary Safety Officer of construction background be willing to bear the risk for conducting such assessment, while he has no experience in using ropes & harnesses to carry out tree work aloft? This is a matter of experience & knowledge, & the right personnel is required for the job.

ISA HK/China has been supplying good information on Tree Care & Tree Management to the Chief Secretary Office & the Chief Executive Office for some years by now. We are always grateful for their help in our development. This event is yet another example that both Offices are working for the good of all of HK, not just for a profession or for a Dept. Our Station Members should support both Offices in their work as ISA HK/China does all the time.

We wish to thank again the HKSAR Govt for this excellent guidance & clarification on our daily Tree Work. ISA HK/China now looks forward to producing more qualified Tree Workers to serve our territory all the time.

best regards,

Sammy Au
President (Station Manager) of ISA HK/China
Registered Consulting Arborist no. RCA#497 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/12/isa-hkchina-first-rca-in-asia.html)
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist / Certified Tree Worker no. HK-0174BT (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2011/03/isa-hkchina-first-bcma-in-asia.html)
Independent Practicing Arborist no. IPA-010908 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-hk-tree-news-14410-report.html)

"Providing treatment without in-depth diagnosis & research support is professional misconduct. "


"Casual tree assessor delivers wanton tree assessment. Mother Nature makes the rules."


各位会员:

继本分会在2011年9月14日的会员通讯里, 质疑树木工作只能采用梯架和升降工作台, 而不能使用绳索和攀树腰带的说法, 本分会将事件提升到香港特区政府政务司办公室里作出反映。 经过他们的热心协助, 本分会在9月24日得到香港政府劳工署的回复, 现将原文节录如下:


“ 欧先生:


多谢你2011年9月14日给政务司司长的电邮, 关乎于树木工作的安全问题, 和9月21日再传达给我们有关同一题目的电邮。


劳工处对工人高空工作的安全问题至为关注。 根据香港法例第509章的职业安全及健康条例, 承办商或雇主(包括树木工作行业) 需要提供及维持一个安全的工作系统, 以确保其雇员的工作安全和健康。 任何涉及高空工作, 承办商或雇主除了要注意其它事项外, 还需要委聘一名 “合资格人仕”, 来进行一项工作前期的风险评估, 去识别和估计可能涉及的风险, 然后制定有关合适而又安全的工作方法。 同时具体的工作方法必须刊利用书面编制及记录在案。 在确定工作方法时, 应采取以下控制措施层次:


>工作尽量在地面进行; 如有可能, 应避免高空作业。


>当工作不能在地面进行时, 应使用升降台或棚架作为一个安全工作落脚点及支撑点。


>当升降台或棚架不适用时, 可以考虑使用绳索及其它工作定位技术。


有关此事宜, 如你尚有其它疑问, 可随时拨2852 4960, 致电给我。


此致


劳工处处长


(吴豪宏代行) “


我们十分感激政务司办公室对事件的关注和将我们的查询转介给劳工处, 而后者又能给予我们明确的指导: 在升降台或棚架不适用时, 可以使用绳索及保护带。 这对攀树工作在香港的发展作出一个重要的里程碑。

有关工作前期的风险评估 “合资格人仕”的人选问题, 本分会向劳工处及政务司司长办公室推荐 “注册树艺师”, 或是更加合适的 “注册攀树师”(www.isa-arborpr.com), 因为他们都受过训练和考核。 毕竟是, 一个没有使用过绳索及攀树腰带, 来进行高空树木工作的建造业 “安全主任”, 会否愿意承担这份评估工作的风险? 这是一个工作经验及实质知识的问题。 选择恰当的人选是必需的。

多年来, 本分会已向政务司办公室及特首办公室提供不少有关树木护理及管理的理据, 我们也十分感谢他们对 ISA 发展的全力协助。 这也是证明他们乐意为全香港的福祉而努力, 而不是专为某一个行业或某一个部门单一着想。 本分会会员应与本分会一样, 努力支持他们的工作。

我们在此再次感谢香港特区政府对树艺行业的指导和澄清。本分会期望能够培养出更多良好的树艺师/攀树师为社会各届服务。

谨此致意!

国际树木学会中国地区分区会会长

欧永森

顾问树艺师号RAC#497 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/12/isa-hkchina-rac-in-asia.html)
资深树艺师/注册攀树师号HK-0174BT (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2011/03/isa-hkchina-frist-bcma-in-asia.html)
执业树艺师号IPA-010908 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-tree-news-1441-report.html)


“不深入诊断和参照研究来批出处方, 是专业失当。 ”


“速成出来的树木评估员, 只会作出胡乱的树木评估。 大自然会决定成败。 ”

(以上由霍健, 香港注册房屋经理R.P.H.M.-119翻译。 一切内容以英文版本为准。 )