Accreditation report for Tuen Mun Safe Community of Hong Kong. Application for Accreditation Tuen Mun Safe Community Of Hong Kong

Transcription

1 Application for Accreditation Tuen Mun Safe Community Of Hong Kong Dr. Cheng Man-yung, Chairman, Working Committee, Tuen Mun Safe Community Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China October

2 I. Greeting There is a general misconception that the word safe in a Safe Community only applies to the work environment. But in fact, people should pay more attention to every aspect of their lives, no matter how minor it is. Tuen Mun was inaugurated as the first safe community in Hong Kong on 21 March I hope this can act as a bridge between us and other communities, and serves as a communication channel for the residents in Tuen Mun so that they can get to know more about the project as well as details of the activities. As the Chairman of the Tuen Mun District Council, I will work closely with my colleagues and give full support to the Safe Community. We will liaise with various government departments, major corporations, schools and social groups to ensure the concept of safe community reaches every corner of the community. I hope Tuen Mun will become a designated safe community that is recognized by the World Health Organization. And more importantly, Tuen Mun will be a safe and healthy home and workplace for our next generation. The Honourable Lau Wong-fat, GBS, JP Patron of Tuen Mun Safe Community / Chairman of Tuen Mun District Council Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China 2

3 II. Table of Content Topic items I. Greeting from the Chairman of Tuen Mun District Council Page No. 2 II. Table of Content 3 III. The Tuen Mun Community of Hong Kong SAR, China 4-6 IV. The need for Tuen Mun to be a Safe Community 7-9 V. Criteria to be designated as a Safe Community 10 Criteria Criteria Criteria Criteria 4 32 Criteria Criteria 6 43 VI. Future development for the Tuen Mun Safe Community 44 VII. Acknowledgement 45 3

4 III. The Tuen Mun Safe Community of Hong Kong SAR, China Photo : The map of Hong Kong SAR, China Introduction Tuen Mun is the first safe community in Hong Kong. The concept of Safe Community began its formal existence in 1989, at the First World Conference on Accident and Injury Prevention held in Stockholm, Sweden. The resolution of the conference the Manifesto for Safe Communities states that All human beings have an equal right to health and safety. Safe community has since been the World Health Organization (WHO) s main health promotion strategy. The idea of safe community takes reference from outreaching programme. Through a steering committee, professional organizations, enterprises, schools, hospitals, government departments and individual enthusiasts, etc. are linked together, to provide people in the community with comfortable, safe and healthy living and working environments. With a strong safety culture, organizations would increase productivity and cost effectiveness, and the society would be relieved of heavy social cost of injuries and illnesses. With the help of the Occupational Safety and Health Council, the Tuen Mun Safe Community Steering Committee was set up in December The Steering Committee has a strong representation which includes government departments, hospital, university and enterprises. The Steering Committee also has the chairman of Tuen Mun District Council as the patron of the Tuen Mun Safe Community. The Tuen Mun Safe Community Inauguration Ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 21 March Professor Leif Svanstrom, Chairman of World Health Organization Collaboration Centre on Community Safety, presented the members of the Tuen Mun Safe Community Steering Committee a certificate of appointment of the Tuen Mun Safe Community. 4

5 (1) (2) Photo : Inauguration of Tuen Mun Safe Community (1) Members of TMSC Steering Committee meeting for logo design competition (2) General information for Tuen Mun Community Location and Area : Tuen Mun, with a size of about 82 square kilometres is situated at the western part of the New Territories of Hong Kong and is on the coast of Ling Ding Yang. Macau is just across the sea. Population : Tuen Mun is one of the most densely populated district with nearly 490,000 persons at 2001, ranking 4 th in the 18 districts. As a growing satellite community, the inhabitants of the community has been increasing, for the past 3 years, particularly for the age ranging between 15 and 65. Figure : Population growth of Tuen Mun Community (Source: Census & Statistics Department, 2002) Year 1999 Year 2000 Year 2001 Variance (2001 vs 1999) Aged % Aged % Aged > % % Traffic and Transport : Tuen Mun is connected to Kowloon through the Tuen Mun Road and Castle Peak Road. The traffic congestion has alleviated a bit in recent years with the commissioning of Route 3 and Ting Kau Bridge, and will be further improved with opening of the West Rail in The Light Rail Transit is the main public transport services within the district. Medical and Health Service : Tuen Mun has 3 hospitals, namely the Tuen Mun Hospital, Castle Peak Hospital and Siu Lam Hospital. There are a total of 23 public clinics and other health institutions. Housing : There are 11 public housing estates, 10 Home Ownership Scheme flats, as well as varieties of private flats. Over 60% of the Tuen Mun residents live in public housing developments. Some 39,000 persons live in 34 villages. 5

6 Community and Recreational Facilities : Major cultural and recreational facilities include the Tuen Mun Town Hall, Tuen Mun Town Park and 5 contiguous beaches in southeastern part of Tuen Mun. There are also 3 community centres and 4 community halls under the management of the Tuen Mun District Office. Education : There are 62 primary schools and 40 secondary schools. Tuen Mun also houses the Lingnan University. Industrial Development : Major industrial establishments concentrates on two areas, namely the Tuen Mun Channel West with light manufacturing industries such as the renowned Japanese zipper manufacturer YKK, and Area 38 with heavy industries such as the Siu Wing Steel Factory and the first River Trade Terminal in Hong Kong. Major Development and district Issues : West Rail Phase I Development has 9 stops routing from Sham Shui Po via Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long to Tuen Mun Town Centre. With its commissioning in 2003, the traffic congestion problem of Tuen Mun Road will be further improved. Moreover, the Deep Bay Link and Route 10 will be commissioned to facilitate both the flow of cargo and people between Mainland and Hong Kong, (1) (2) 6

7 (3) (4) Photo : Scenery of Tuen Mun Community in the olden days (1) Scenery of Tuen Mun Community today (2) (3) (4) IV. The Need for Tuen Mun to be a Safe Community Quality of life Improving community safety is an effective means for the continuous improvement of the quality of life of all citizens. As the inhabitants are less prone to injuries, the way of life in the community would be much happier and healthier. Figure : General picture of injury pattern (Source : Tuen Mun Hospital) Causes of traumatic injury Year 1999 Year 2000 Year 2001 Variance (2001 vs 1999) 7

8 Assault (-1%) Battering (+33%) Traffic (+5%) Occupational (+7.5%) Domestic (-18.7%) Sports (-2%) Falls (+53%) Others (+7%) Total (+10%) Age Group Trauma incident count in Tuen Mun year Variance (2001 vs 1999) % % >= % Total % Distribution of Nature of Injury in Tuen Mun in % 10.9% 4.1% 0.7% 4.3% 26.8% Assault Battering Traffic Occupational Domestic Sports Falls Others 7.4% 16.6% From the injury data, one should take note that some of the injury category is still high. In 2001, there were 29.3 % (8380/28584) fall injury and 26.8% (7650/28584) occupational injury. Effort should be made to improve the safety of the community in particular to those areas of occupational and general environmental safety. Distribution of Population and Injury by Age Group in Tuen Mun in 2001 Age Group Population Injury Year 2001 % Variance (2001 vs 1999) Year 2001 % Variance (2001 vs 1999) % -4.60% % -1.50% 8

9 % 3.70% % 11.70% >= % 14.20% % 29.60% Total % 2.70% % 10% Due to the decrease in population, there is 1.5% (89/5849) slight decrease in the injury incidents in the age group of Nevertheless, one should still continuous to put effort for this group not only because of they accounted for 20.2 % (5760/28584) of injury incidents in 2001, but also, any intervention to prevent injury for this group would have a greater impact in future. Distribution of Injury by Age Group in Tuen Mun in 1999 and 2001 Age Group Year 1999 Year 2001 Variance (2001 vs 1999) % in % 8.3% % 19.0% % 43.2% % 20.2% >= % 9.2% Total % 100.0% The impact of injuries resulting from population growth in the age group of >=65 is also very great. There was 29.6% (604/2642) increase in injury incidents in this age group in comparing between 1999 and 200. For age group 45 64, there was also a relatively high percentage increase (27.8%, 1257/4525) in injury incidents in comparing between 1999 and Commitment of private and public organizations towards community For many public and private organizations, community responsibility is one of their corporate missions. This is a shared responsibility. Everyone in the community should contribute to practise safety in their everyday life, set good examples for the younger generation so that they will think and act safe from a very young age. Cost of public funding for treatment of injuries It is clear that if the safety of community is improved, less public funding would be required to treat clients suffering from accidental injuries and medical expenses can be utilized to improve other areas of need. Learning attitude towards continuous improvement initiatives Being one of the members of the Safe Community Network, members can share and learn 9

10 from each other the experience in success and difficulties encountered. They aspire to promote a safety culture through partnerships of corporations, government departments, local administration, health services providers, educational institutions, voluntary groups and other interested groups at the community level. They are also prepared to share their experiences with other communities in Hong Kong and other regions by participating in the safe community network under the WHO. 10

11 V. Criteria to be Designated as a Safe Community The WHO Collaborating Center on Community Safety Promotion has put forward 6 criteria or indicators to be designated as a Safe Community. 1. An infrastructure based on partnership and collaborations, governed by a cross-sectional group that is responsible for safety promotion in their community ; 2. Long-term, sustainable programs covering both genders and all ages, environments, and situations ; 3. Programs that target high-risk groups and environments, and programs that promote safety for vulnerable groups ; 4. Programs that document the frequency and causes of injuries ; 5. Evaluation measures to assess their programs, processes and the effects of change ; 6. Ongoing participation in national and international Safe Communities networks. 11

12 1. An infrastructure based on partnership and collaborations, governed by a cross-sectional group that is responsible for safety promotion in their community The Tuen Mun Safe Community Steering Committee was established in 1999 and the Tuen Mun Safe Community was inaugurated in March 2000 at the Convention Centre of Hong Kong. There were thirteen organizations participating in the project and the Chairman for the Steering Committee was Dr. T.L. Ng, the Chairman of Occupational Safety & Health Council and the Chairman for the Working Committee was Dr. M.Y. Cheng, Hospital Chief Executive of Tuen Mun Hospital. List of member organizations for the Tuen Mun Safe Community CLP Power KCRC Light Rail Lingnan University Tuen Mun Hospital Tuen Mun District Office Tuen Mun District Council YKK Corporation HK Limited Vogue Laundry Services Limited HK Police Force HK Fire Services Department HK Housing Authority Labour Department Occupational Safety & Health Council 12

13 Membership list of the Steering Committee of Tuen Mun Safe Community Dr. NG Tat-lun, Justice of Peace, Chairman of the Occupational Safety & Health Council (Chairman) Mr. LUM Kwok-keung, Justice of Peace, District Officer of Tuen Mun District Office Dr. CHENG Man-yung, Hospital Chief Executive of the Tuen Mun Hospital Mr. CHAN Yau-hoi, Member of the Tuen Mun District Council Mr. AU Hok-lam, District Commander, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong Police Force Mr. LIU Ching-chung, Divisional Commander, New Territories West, Fire Services Department Mr. Fred TING, Justice of Peace, Deputy Commissioner for Labour Mrs Katherine YAU, Chief Publicity Officer (Corporate & Community Relations) of Hong Kong Housing Authority Mr. Jonathan YU, Justice of Peace, Director of the KCRC-Light Rail Mr. Julian LAM, Generation Operation & Maintenance Manager of the CLP Power Co. Ltd Mr. Daniel CHEUNG, General Manager of Vogue Laundry Services Limited Professor Barton STARR, Associate Vice President of the Lingnan University Mr. Tetsuo YAZAWA, Managing Director of the YKK Hong Kong Limited Figure : Organization of the Tuen Mun Safe Community The six Working Groups were focusing on various aspects for injury prevention. As the TM Safe Community Steering Comm ittee TM Safe Community Co-ordinator TM Safe Community W orking C om m ittee Workgroup for Home Electricity Safety (C L P Pow er) Workgroup for OccupationalSafety & Health (O S H Council) Workgroup for StudentSafety (Lingnan U niversity) Workgroup for Road Safety (K C R C LightRail) Workgroup for Injury Statistics & Analysis (T uen Mun Hospital) Workgroup for OSH Carnival (T uen Mun DistrictCouncil) convenor for the individual working group, the organization would liaise with other member organizations to develop and organized various activities to promote safety culture for the respective areas. The activities would include, for example, checking electricity appliance safety for senior citizen and educational visits to safety departments of various corporations etc. 13

14 2. Long-term, sustainable programs covering both genders and all ages, environments, and situations. 1. To maintain Tuen Mun Safe Community as a long-term project, the Chairman of the Tuen Mun District Council was invited as our patron. 2. The support of the Tuen Mun District Council and District Office was crucial to implement programs to create a better and safer community for the inhabitants. 3. The regular collection and analysis of injury data and safety information from Tuen Mun Hospital would facilitate the continuous evaluation and reflection of achievement pursued by each sector. 4 The establishment of the co-ordinator and office at Tuen Mun Hospital would act as a focus point for meetings and related activities. 5. The establishment of our long term mission of Decreasing the injury incidents of Tuen Mun by 50% within 5 years would be a unanimous target of the members of the Steering Committee. 6. The establishment of the Safe Community Corridor will provide an effective communication and promotion for the continuous work implemented by the Tuen Mun Safe Community. Milestone of development for the Tuen Mun Safe Community Stage Year Activities Preparation Propose Safe Community Project Formation of Working Committee Establishment of the TM SC Steering Committee Inauguration of the TM SC by Professor Svanstrom Implementation Formation of working groups Develop and implement injury prevention programs Establish injury monitoring mechanism Share experience with Safe Community network Submit project report to WHO Collaborating Centre for application of Tuen Mun Safe Community Consolidation Designated as a Safe Community Support OSHC to hold 12 th Asian Regional Conference on Safe Community Continue injury prevention programs Enhance co-operation with local functional committees, groups and organizations Share and distribute experience with Safe Community network 14

15 2.1 Health Education and Promotion The Community Service Centre of Tuen Mun Hospital has played an important role for the continuous contribution and commitment to the safety and health of the Tuen Mun Community. She had organized a series of health education activities to promote health among the citizens. Programs in 2001 to Two parallel groups for peadiatric eczema patients and their parents were organized in August A workshop on Sex Life adjustment after Stroke was in March An experiential workshop was organized in August 2001 on social stigmatization of chronically ill patients interactive school talks on anti-smoking in adolescent. 5. Produced an educational video on Smoking or Not. 6. A leadership training and empowerment workshop for adolescence was organized in May 01 to prepare them to launch anti-smoking program in schools community health talks were organized in They were Female incontinence and chronic wound management, Breast Cancer, Stress management, Chinese Medicine in cancer prevention and rehabilitation, Women health carnival, Women and Cancer, Brain Damage and Memory, Early Assessment Service for Young people with Psychosis 8. A series of 4 exhibitions in Healthy School Project of Tuen Mun district community health talks for parents of primary school children on domestic injury and childhood diet. Programs in 2000 to As a community empowerment project to enable the public to use the health care service more efficiently, a workshop on #ΖΜ 0 σ ΒΗ was organized in August, Anti-smoking program of the year included 4 primary school talks, board exhibition, coloring competition, empowerment workshop, anti-smoking program in 10 secondary schools, anti-smoking kick-off ceremony, set up of smoke free health station in TMH. 15

16 3. 7 community talks in this year which included, cancer prevention, female incontinence, women headache, mental stress under unemployment, mental stress of handicapped/chronically ill patient and their carers, cerebal pelsy,cervical cancer and asthma in children public health exhibitions were set up Programme in 1999 to Anti-smoking program of the year: 5 school talks, 7 smoke free patrol in hospital, experiential workshop and a anti-smoking ceremony 2. 5 community health talks which were on mental health, breast cancer, female incontinence, cancer prevention and urinary tract stone public health exhibitions were set up this year. 2.2 Road safety for students a. Road safety seminars The Tuen Mun Road Safety Group of the Hong Kong Police Force had arranged a lot of road safety promotion talks and seminars to students. And a total 33 Road Safety Teams had been established for the schools in Tuen Mun (10 for secondary schools, 10 for primary schools and 13 for kindergartens). The coverage of education for road safety awareness extended from 85% to 91% in these 3 years. Figure : Number of seminars arranged (Source : HK Police Force) Year Year No. of schools in Tuen Mun No. of schools road safety talks provided Coverage 85% 91% b. Road Safety Quiz and Essay Competition It was organized by the New Territories North Regional Traffic Headquarters for the promotion of Road Safety in Tuen Mun Community. c. Road Safety Drawing and colouring competition It was organized by the Tuen Mun Road Safety Committee for the promotion of road safety in Tuen Mun community. d. Road Safety Town A Road Safety Town occupying an area of 0.28 hectares is located in Tuen Mun. School children are arranged to tour the road safety town to educate them on road safety. Usage of the Town is shown on the following table: - 16

17 Figure : Number of visitors to Road Safety Town (Source : HK Police Force) Years Number of Attendance 15,477 15,475 13,710 Figure : Number of children injured during traffic accidents (Source : Tuen Mun Hospital) Year 1999 Year 2000 Year 2001 Variance (2001 vs 1999) Aged (-32.5%) Aged (+17.7%) Aged (-12.5%) Total (-8.5%) 2.3 Improvement for the general environment To prevent accidents for citizens living in remote villages in the Tuen Mun district, the Tuen Mun District Office had co-ordinated numerous improvement projects. Table : Improvement works for village inhabitants (Source : Tuen Mun District Office) Government Departments Program initiatives Targets achieved Works Section, Tuen Mun Construction of pavement, Safe access for 6 District Office channel or bridges villages provided Lighting Division, Village lighting program 142 lamps installed Highway Department Civil Engineering Land-slip Department Measures Preventive 10 dangerous sites improved These improvement programs provided safer access with better lighting for the villages, which would prevent senior citizens from falling during access of the villages in their daily living. The improvement of landslip sites would prevent citizens form injuries caused by the landslip accidents. (1) (2) Photo : A village access before and after improvement work. (Source: Tuen Mun District Office) (1) (2) 17

18 2.4 Estate safety The Housing Authority had paid much effort to improve the safety awareness of the citizens at the public housing estates. With the co-operation of various public and private organizations, various promotional programs were organized within the estate. Table : Estate Safety Program (Source : Housing Authority) Activities Name of estate(s) Number of Date of program participants Anti-dumping from height Wu King Estate 300 citizens September 2001 Fire Safety Road-show On Ting Estate Shan King Estate 700 citizens October 2001 Home fire safety Newsletter Shan King Estate 9000 copies December 2001 distributed (1) (2) Photo : Fire Safety road-show for estate (1) Newspaper on fire safety for estate (Source : Hospital Authority) (2) 18

19 2.5 Light Rail Safety Hong Kong s Light Rail system, which is the major mode of internal transport for the 900,000 residents of the new towns of Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai, carries more than 320,000 people a day. Great emphasis is placed on the safety of this busy railway system The safety management of the system Light Rail's system is designed and constructed in accordance with international safety standards. Its safety is closely monitored by the Railway Inspectorate appointed by the Government. Light Rail adopts an integrated approach in safety and quality management such that safety requirements are incorporated into all areas as well as the ISO policies and procedures. A risk management programme is being implemented and a hazard analysis is conducted to reduce safety hazards and to improve safety Drivers training A comprehensive training programme is provided for Light Rail drivers. New recruits have to undertake a nine-week comprehensive training programme before they can become fully qualified. In order to maintain a high standard, all drivers have to attend a refresher-training course every year to ensure that they are well aware of the safe operating procedures Emergency drills Emergency exercises are conducted at least twice a year in conjunction with the emergency rescue team to evaluate the efficiency of staff in handling different kinds of incidents, to test their knowledge on emergency handling procedures and their proper use of safety equipment. The recent one was conducted on 17 May 2002 near Tuen Mun Light Rail Tai Hing (North) Stop. The Fire Services Department and the Police also took part in the exercise Joint anti-jaywalking operations Regular anti-jaywalking operations are carried out jointly by Light Rail and the Police at major Light Rail pedestrian crossings to warn and prosecute pedestrians and cyclists who fail to observe traffic regulations. Apart from warning the jaywalkers, the Police and Light Rail also praised pedestrians who paid strict attention to the prevailing traffic regulations. The joint operation campaign, which began in 2000, has reduced the number of pedestrian accidents by 30% over the past two years Light Rail Road Safety Campaigns Large-scale public education campaigns are carried out annually to educate 19

20 road users on how to use Light Rail service and cross Light Rail junctions safely. The 2001 Light Rail Road Safety Campaign was organised in November and December 2001 and was supported by the Tuen Mun Safe Community project, Hong Kong Housing Authority and the Police. Light Rail also actively participates in regional safety campaign organized by the Police and community organizations to reinforce safety messages. Through these continuous implementation of improvement measures such as the installation of red light cameras at some Light Rail/ road junctions by the Government, improvement of signage, intensive training, emergency exercises and public education, Light Rail has been consistently attaining a good safety record and has the lowest accident record amongst all road-based public transport systems. Passengers and public injuired (Per million passengers carried) Injury Rate '00 '01 Year Source : KCRC Light Rail (1) (2) 20

21 Photo : Road safety carnival by Light Rail Train (1) (2) 2.6 Fire safety Response to Emergency Calls In Tuen Mun district, there are five fire stations namely Tuen Mun, Castle Peak Bay, Fu Tei, Pillar Point and Tai Lam Chung Fire Station to serve the community. The locations of these stations are strategically located to cover every part of the district by ensuring prompt response of fire service personnel to an emergency. For urban area, the fire appliances are aimed to arrive at the address of incident within 6 minutes from the report of the incident. The strength of the fire stations comprises 283 personnel, officers and firemen together and 16 units of fire fighting and rescue appliances are normally stationed to serve the Tuen Mun community by responding to fire and special service calls of various categories Death & Injury in Fires Notwithstanding that there is a slight increase in the total number of total fire calls as a result of substantial increase in the population and the Number TotalFire Calls Year proliferation of building structures in Tuen Mun, the fatality and injury figures in fire incidents have manifested in a steady and descending trend for the past few years. The declining figures against positive growth in population and buildings would indicate that Tuen Mun is a safe community in terms of fire protection for life and property. The statistics on fatality and injury in fires from 1999 to 2001 are given below. 21

22 Number Year Building Fire Calls Numb er Yea r Injuries & Fatalities in Fire Incidents Countryside Fire Protection The local fire station personnel are equally concerned in rural area fire protection. As a result of concerted efforts being contributed by the concerned government departments since 1999, the hill fire statistics has been steadily kept low in year 2000 and Further, due to prompt response and dedication of the Fire Services personnel in fire fighting operations, the hill fires have always been quickly put under control from developing into a serious magnitude to threaten nearby life and property. The statistics on hill fires from 1999 to 2001 are given below Ινϕυ ρψ Φατα λιτψ Numb er Hill Fires

23 2.6.4 Fire Protection and Fire Safety Apart from responding to all emergency calls, the Fire Services personnel in Tuen Mun district are also responsible for conducting fire protection inspections to abate situations of Fire Hazard which includes floating obstructions on the Means of Escape, locked roof exit, locked ground floor exit etc. All these inspections which very often include response to complaints about fire safety would be initially conducted within 24 hours from the time of receiving the report to ascertain the nature for proper follow up enforcement action. The following table shows the number of inspections and enforcement actions taken against irregularities of a fire hazard nature. Year No. of Inspection No. of FHAN* issued *FHAN Fire Hazard Abatement Notice No. of Prosecution Inspections and visits to special risk locations and premises for fire prevention In discharging the duties of Fire Services Department to render Tuen Mun to be a safe community in terms of protection from fires and other calamities, the local fire station personnel have always adopted a proactive approach by conducting regular inspections and visits to familiarize themselves with the special risk locations and premises to enhance the awareness of the occupants towards good fire protection and safety standard. During these inspections and visits, we have established close co-operation in disseminating correct fire safety messages to the residents, staff and management towards the common objective in making Tuen Mun a safe community. In infra-structural projects such as the West Rail lines in Tuen Mun area, we have been frequently visiting the construction sites to achieve the aforesaid fire protection objectives. The following table shows the inspections and visits to the various kinds of special risk premises and locations. 23

24 Year West Rail Construction Site PHIs* Suspected Illicit Fueling Spots Hospital/ Institutional premises # Home for the Aged Others * Potentially Hazardous Installations # Hospitals, Correctional Institutions, University Others- e.g. Dangerous goods godown, Emergency Vehicular Access, Cyber Café, Places of Public Entertainment and Karaoke Establishments Fire Safety Publicity and Education a. Fire Drills/Fire Safety Talks/ Seminars/Exhibitions/Carnivals/Visits to Fire Stations The local fire station personnel are regularly engaged in fostering fire safety publicity and education in the community. In doing so, we have extensively participated in organizing fire drills, demonstration of fire fighting equipment, static displays and exhibitions and conducting fire talks to the residents and various organizations, such as homes for the aged, department stores, building management staff and members of housing estate management committees. From time to time, in conjunction with the Tuen Mun District Fire Safety Committee, we have held fire safety seminars and carnivals to arouse the residents interest toward fire protection and safety measures. In addition, we frequently entertain requests from the public to visit our fire stations, and during these opportunities, the relevant knowledge and practical demonstration on the proper use of fire extinguishers and fire hose reel are taught. We appreciate that fire prevention is an ongoing process to make Tuen Mun a safer place to work and live. Therefore, the tasks of conducting fire safety talks, seminars and fire drills at the work places, schools and housing estates etc. have been our paramount missions to educate the people on how to prevent the occurrence of a fire and what to do in case of an emergency. By entertaining the visits to the fire stations by the students, it is beneficial to impart them with the correct fire safety knowledge at their young days. The table below shows the total number of fire prevention activities for the past three years. 24

25 Year Fire/Evacuation Drills & Demonstrations Fire Safety Talks/Seminars Static Displays/ Exhibitions Fire Safety Carnivals No. of Person Visited Fire Station b. Co-ordination of the Fire Prevention and Publicity Work The Tuen Mun District Fire Safety Committee (TMDFSC) was established in 1998 to promote fire safety matters in Tuen Mun. The TMDFSC comprising representatives from various government departments and members from the public has a conferred mission to promote fire safety through a yearlong programme that includes fire prevention campaigns, seminars, exhibitions and carnivals. Being the core member in the TMDFSC, the Fire Services personnel posted to the fire stations in Tuen Mun district play a leading role and tender full support in implementing the various associated activities in addition to their prime fire fighting and rescue duties. Apart from attending the regular TMDFSC meetings, we have also participated in job related meetings with various local organizations and public utility companies in enhancing fire safety standards and measures. c. Fire Safety Ambassador Scheme The territory wide scheme was implemented in 1997 by the Fire Services Department and is aimed to recruit and train persons from all walks of life from the age of 12 and above as Fire Safety Ambassadors (FSA) who have to go through a one-day training course at a fire station. After passing the end of course test, they will be qualified as Fire Safety Ambassadors to join and assist in the various fire publicity events with members of the public and Fire Services personnel. Through the enthusiastic participation in educational visits and various fire publicity activities, e.g. visits to the Tuen Mun Rival Terminal, Light Rail Depot, the local fireboat station and Fire Prevention Campaign for the fishing population at the typhoon shelter during the Fishing Moratorium period etc, they get to know more about the local organizations and contribute their efforts for the well being of the Tuen Mun community at large. In addition, the qualified FSAs have the following civic duties to perform: (i) to disseminate fire protection messages to the general public; (ii) to promote fire safety awareness among citizens; and (iii) to report and help abate fire hazards. 25

26 In the year 2001, we have successfully trained a total of 401 FSAs in Tuen Mun. There were over two thousand trained FSAs in Tuen Mun at the end of 2001 and more FSAs training courses would be arranged. The significant contribution of the FSAs and the recognized success of the scheme have added new drive in promoting overall fire safety in Tuen Mun and thus making the community ever safer than before. (1) (2) Photo : Fire safety Carnival (1) Visit to a fire station by students (2) Way Forward Future Programme a. Rural Fire Safety We are determined to continue our efforts in the protection of life and property and will further enhance the network in promoting all aspects of fire protection and fire safety matters. In 2002, we are prepared to enhance the fire safety awareness of the residents in rural areas in Tuen Mun district by coordinating with the village representatives to embark on a series of activities and initiatives, e.g. fire talks, roving exhibitions and fire prevention campaigns etc. b. Fire Safety Ambassador Scheme Training of FSA would continue to be the key programme in promoting fire safety for years to come. In 2002, we are targeted to train 340 FSAs with more educational visits to enhance fire safety publicity and awareness. c. Fire drills/fire Talks/Seminars/Exhibitions and Publicity For fire safety publicity, education and necessary practices, we aim for the following achievements for 2002: Fire/Evacuation Drills nos. Fire Safety Talks/Seminars and Exhibitions nos. Fire Safety Carnival - 1 no. 26

27 2.7 Electricity Safety Electricity Safety is of vital importance to the community. As such, a series of promotional campaigns on electricity safety were organized by the Electrical Safety Workgroup in collaboration with power company and various public organizations. These campaigns aimed at arousing community awareness in power safety. Various activities have been organized including safety talks, game booths, road shows and safety quizzes conducted at different locations in Tuen Mun since June Safety Talks A total of 11 safety talks and seminars have been organized in 2000 in conjunction with the Tuen Mun District Council, the Tuen Mun District Office, the Tuen Mun Girl Guides, and seven other secondary schools to deliver the safety message to the residents of Tuen Mun. Seven of the talks were held at CLP Power s Castle Peak Power Station, while the others were held in housing estates as well as Tuen Mun Town Hall. The themes for these talks were Electricity Safety at Home and Building Maintenance. Over one thousand residents including students and girl guides attended these events. In 2001 and 2002, 6 talks were held with focus either on introducing electricity safety, or on electricity installation and maintenance in high-rise buildings to Tuen Mun residents including 60 Occupational Safety and Health Ambassadors. Jointly organized by Hong Kong Construction Industry Professional Plant Operations and Mechanics Association, another talk has been scheduled for this October, on prevention measures against accidental damage to overhead power lines and underground cables. Year No. of Safety Talks No. of residents participated Game Booths Game booths were organized in 2000 and 2001 at Tuen Mun Town Plaza and different locations on the theme of electricity safety at home with total attendance exceeded 6,800 in 10 occasions. 27

28 Starting from January 2002, five campaigns with the use of game booths were organized to promote electricity safety at home. Among these, game booths were put up on 2 occasions at Tuen Mun Town Plaza, each attended by about 1,000 residents, while another three occasions will be set up at Tuen Mun Town Plaza, Marina Garden Club and Siu Hei Court towards the end of the year. Year No. of Game Booths No. of residents participated Road shows Two road shows on electricity safety at home were held in 2001 in conjunction with the Tuen Mun District Council, in Tin King Estate and Tuen Mun Town Plaza respectively. These events attracted a total of 1,000 residents to participate. In 2002, we continue to run road shows to reinforce messages of electricity safety at home. One took place at Tuen Mun Town Plaza in January with about 1,000 residents attended, while another two road shows will be organized this September Safety Quizzes With the support of Tuen Mun District Council, two CLP Cup safety quizzes were organized in With Occupational Safety and Health as the theme, these were held at Tuen Mun Town Plaza and a total of 1,000 residents participated. 28

29 By end of this year, a Safety Quiz will be held at Tuen Mun Town Plaza to further boost awareness of occupational safety and health CLP Volunteers Apart from the above activities, the CLP Volunteers also provided free rewiring services to the elderly living alone in the last two years. 29

30 3. Programs that target high-risk groups and environments, and programs that promote safety for vulnerable groups. 3.1 Children home safety Through education by nursing staff to parents of new born, particularly those new migrants from Mainland China, the incidence of domestic injuries for children handled at the Emergency Department of Tuen Mun Hospital had been decreasing for the past 3 years. Further promotion and education through exhibition board of home safety for children improved the public awareness much. Figure : Number of children in home injuries (Source : Tuen Mun Hospital) Year 1999 Year 2000 Year 2001 Variance (2001 vs 1999) Aged (-33.7%) Aged (-23.5%) Aged (-31.3%) (-31%) (1) (2) Photo : Home safety pamphlet for parents (Source : Tuen Mun Hospital) (1) Board exhibition for home safety for parents (Source : Tuen Mun Hospital) (2) 30

31 3.2 Senior citizen (above 65 of age) Fall prevention a. Awareness for risk of fall The Community Geriatric Assessment Service had regularly arranged education talks to Care & Aged Homes, Hostels and Day Care Centres etc boosting up the awareness of the risk of falling to the senior citizens in the Tuen Mun community. The establishment of the Fall Clinic at the Geriatric Day Hospital of Tuen Mun Hospital also provided timely intervention for those clients who might have a high risk of fall at home. More over, the team of Community Nursing Service also contributed to identify, educate and refer risk clients for timely intervention. b. Home exercise and home modification The Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists would provide intervention sessions for clients at the Day Care Centres and Hostels to decrease the risk of fall. The Occupational therapist would provide Assessment for Activities of Daily Living and recommend for any home safety modification e.g. handrail in bathroom and no-slippery tape or sheet to help enhancing the home safety for senior citizens. The Physiotherapists would re-educate and strengthen clients postural muscles improving the balance and she would also recommend Hipprotectors to high-risk clients to minimize injury of fall. c. Victims of home injury (Source : Tuen Mun Hospital) Year 1999 Year 2000 Year 2001 Variance (2001 vs 1999) Aged > (-11.3%) (1) (2) Photo : Education of home safety (1) Teaching balance exercise for fall prevention (2) 31

32 4. Programs that document the frequency and causes of injuries. 4.1 For information collection, Tuen Mun Hospital had convened a working group, under the Tuen Mun Safe Community Steering Committee, comprising the Occupational Safety and Health Council and the government departments as members. The data collection mechanism involved mainly the Emergency Department and the Health Information & Records Office of the hospital where the data were retrieved, analyzed and categorized All traumatic injuries consulting the Emergency Department of Tuen Mun Hospital would be recorded into the Information System. The information collected became a Registry of Injury Incidents, including demographic data. The linking of data from emergency department automatically connected to the admitted clinical data once the patients were hospitalized. The data were then coded to a clinical modification of 9 th version of the International Classification of Disease (ICD-9- CM) that included diagnosis, external cause. Other useful information, such as survival data and sick leave days were also captured in the Information System. 4.3 On the other hand, those information collected by respective public or private organizations would be provided to the Committees as necessary to help monitoring the safety of the community and to provide data for future strategic planning. 4.4 The information was conveyed through publication, local newsletter and regular meetings for the Safe Community Steering and Working committees. 4.5 All data was conveyed to the working groups and hospital service-chiefs for targeted programs of improvement. 4.6 All data would be evaluated in relation the program initiatives. 32

33 5. Evaluation measures to assess their programs, processes and the effects of change. 5.1 Crime A progressive reduction in crimes recorded during the past three years is noticeable. The following tables show the total crimes recorded during the past three years as well as those committed by juvenile offenders (under the age of 18) and violent crimes: - Table A - Overall Crimes (Source : HK Police Force) Year Number of crimes recorded Percentage change % -21.1% Table B - Juvenile Crimes (Source : HK Police Force) Year Number of crimes committed by juvenile (under 18) Percentage change % -8.9% Table C Violent Crimes (Source : HK Police Force) Year Number of violent crimes Percentage change % -23.3% Crime Prevention Initiatives The Police in Tuen Mun District, assisted by other government departments and Non-Government Organizations (NGO), has launched a number of antijuvenile crime initiatives in the past few years with a view to reduce the number of instances of young people committing crimes: - a. Project X Project X is an early intervention program aimed at engaging volunteer students from Lingnan University as role models to counsel, support and provide guidance to youths at risk so as to prevent them from delinquency and crime. Up to 25 freshmen are selected annually from Lingnan University to participate as mentors in the scheme. They are provided training by representatives from Lingnan, the Police, District Fight Crime Committee, Social Welfare Department, Education Department and NGOs to equip them with the skills in mentoring two adolescent youths each for a period of three years. Since 1997, 114 students have become mentors and 228 young people have already benefited from their mentorship in this project. 33

34 b. Junior Police Call The Junior Police Call Scheme (JPC) was formed in 1974 by the Police to promote law-abiding among young people in Hong Kong. At present, 8623 young people have enrolled as JPC members and 864 as JPC leaders in Tuen Mun. (1) (2) Photo : Visit to Police Museum by Junior Police Call (1) Report of Project X (2) c. Open-Scout Group 33 This Open Scout Group was pioneered in 1989 by Police Officers from Tuen Mun District in partnership with the Tuen Mun District Fight Crime Committee and a number of local enthusiastic Scouters. Delinquent juveniles who have committed minor offences are, following the administration of formal caution by a Police Superintendent, introduced to scouting activities as a means to prevent recidivism. Since inception, 151 young people have benefited from the scheme. d. Secondary School Ambassadors Program This Program was launched by the police in Tuen Mun in 1998 to enhance communication with local schools. A Police Officer is assigned, on a voluntary basis, to each of the 39 secondary schools in Tuen Mun to establish a discreet line of communication between his Divisional Commander and the school. As ambassadors they will regularly visit the school and disseminate crime prevention messages to the students, also provide advice and assistance to the Headmasters in handling problem related to students, such as truancy and conflicts among students. 34

35 e. School Newsletter A quarterly newsletter is published since June 1997 by Police Officers from Tuen Mun District to disseminate crime prevention messages to students of local schools. 10,000 copies are published on each issue and teachers, social workers and, at times, students are invited to contribute articles to the School Newsletter. To attract young students to read the newsletter, quiz with prize is included in the newsletter. (1) (2) Photo : Newspaper to promote crime prevention (1) Contribution from student to the newspaper (2) 5.2 Traffic accidents The number of traffic accidents recorded over the past three years is shown in following table: - Table D - Overall Traffic Accident Statistics (Source : HK Police Force) Years Number of deaths 14 9 (-55.6%) 3 (-200%) Number of serious injuries (-8.5%) 196 (+34.2%) Number of slight injured (+9.6%) 572 (+5.6%) Total (+5.3%) 771 (+12.1%) Table E - Traffic Accidents Involving Pedestrians (Source : HK Police Force) Years Number of deaths 4 2 (-100%) 1(-100%) Number of serious injuries (+2%) 47 (-4.3%) Number of slight injuries (+21.1%) 132 (+3 %) Total (+14.5%) 180 (+0.6%) 35

36 Table F - Traffic Accidents Involving Bicycles (Source : HK Police Force) Years Number of death 1 0 (-100%) 1 (+100%) Number of serious injuries (-3.8%) 31 (+ 16.1%) Number of slight injuries (-1.5%) 90 (+38.5%) Total 92 91(-1.1%) 122 (+25.4%) Promotional Efforts a. Road Safety Patrol Teams The Police have assisted local schools including kindergartens, primary and secondary schools to form Road Safety Patrol Teams to help promote road safety among young people. A total of 33 Teams (10 in secondary schools, 10 in primary schools and 13 in kindergartens) have been established with 902 members participating regularly. In the meantime, Police Officers from the Road Safety Section regularly conduct school talks to promote road safety consciousness among students. Table G - Number of School Talks (Source : HK Police Force) School Years 1999/ /2001 Number of schools Number of school talks Coverage 85% 91% b. Road Safety Ambassador A total of 100 Road Safety Ambassadors, mostly senior citizens, have been recruited to help the police in promoting road safety in Tuen Mun District. They are regularly engaged to help distribute road safety leaflets to members of the public and to educate them on the proper use road crossings. c. Road Safety Education and Traffic Enforcement Campaign Police in Tuen Mun mount fortnightly campaigns each month to educate road users on road safety. Police Officers and Traffic Warden are engaged at traffic accident black spots to enforce traffic violations as well as issue verbal warnings for minor breaches while Junior Police Call members and Road Safety Ambassadors are engaged to promote proper use of road crossings. 36

37 (1) (2) Photo : Road Safety Patrol team promotion road safety (1) Young Road Safety Ambassador promoting road safety (2) 5.3 Drugs abuse According to the Central Registry of Drug Abusers, drug abuse is not regarded as a serious problem in Tuen Mun District, a significant reduction in the arrest of drug addicts can be found over the past three years: - Table I - Number of Drug Addicts Arrested (Source : HK Police Force) Years Number of arrests (over 21) Number of arrests (under 21) Promotional Efforts a. School Newsletters Articles on narcotic substances abuse regularly appear on the School Newsletters to discourage young people from taking or experimenting with psychotropic drugs. Posters carrying anti-drug abuse messages are produced for display at schools to compliment such efforts. b. Joint-Seminars Police formed partnership with NGOs to conduct joint seminars targeted at students to educate them on the pitfalls of drug abuse. Rejuvenated drug addicts are invited as guest speakers to share their painful experience with attendants of these seminars. c. Green Haven Program The Green Haven Program was launched by the Correctional Services Department in 2001 to discourage drug abuse and to promote environmental protection awareness among young people. Police in Tuen Mun District participated in Green Haven Program and organized visits by 37

38 local students to Hei Ling Chau Drug Addiction Treatment Center where they are shown life examples of the drawbacks of drug addiction. 60 students from Tuen Mun District have so far took part in such visits. After taking part in a visit, students may be appointed Fight Drugs Ambassadors to help disseminate the drugs prevention messages to other young people within the District. d. Anti-Drugs Training Camp Training camps are arranged for students and Junior Police Call members to discourage them, through participation in healthy sporting activities and role-playing, from taking drugs during summer holidays. e. Anti-Drugs Carnival Annual Anti-Drug Carnivals are held when artistes are engaged on live performances to promote drug-free living and to instill positive values among young people. (1) (2) Photo : Anti-drug carnival (1) (2) 5.4 Occupational safety & health The Occupational Safety and Health Council dedicate to further the safety and health development in Hong Kong. In 2000 the first affiliate safe community support centre in Asia inaugurated in Hong Kong. The Council is proud to have taken part in this Safe Community development. In the same year, the very first safe community in China- Tuen Mun Safe Community has been established with the purpose to build the safety culture within the community. Tuen Mun is one of the satellite cities in Hong Kong. Facilitated with housing estates, industrial centers, schools and sophisticated traffic network, Tuen Mun is a wellestablished community where people live, work and play here. 38

39 The establishment of Tuen Mun Safe Community is to facilitate the development of safety awareness amongst members of the community. The Council supports the Tuen Mun Safe Community and takes the initiatives to strengthen the awareness of safety and health amongst public through multi-facets activities. On top of the general promotional items, we organize special promotional campaigns with specific topics which focusing on general public, people working in the high-risk industry and the youth High-risk Industry The Construction Safety Promotional Campaign focuses on promoting safe working cycle, safety of working at height, confined space, and the importance of wearing personal protective equipment. In 2001 the Council organized a Competition on Safe Working Cycle in September which proved to be a very successful one with 50 companies implemented safe working cycle into their routine. This activity raised the safety awareness amongst the industry. The Council organized the Catering Safety and Health Seminar on January and July 2001 to remind the people working in the high-risk industry the importance of safety and health. The seminar highlighted the measures to prevent major hazards and encouraged companies to establish a good management practice. (1) (2) Photo : OSH promotion for Construction and catering industries (1) (2) Promotional Programme The OSH Enhancement Forum encouraged benchmarking of the best practice of good safety and health practice amongst different organizations and trades. The Council organized the Occupational Safety & Health Enhancement Forum on June 2001, providing a platform for the organization to share their experiences on the continuous safety improvement. The influence on building a safety culture is evidently not only in their workplace but also in the community. 39

40 The Good Housekeeping Day aims at improving good housekeeping practice and reducing the accident at work. By the distribution the self-learning kit to various companies and trade unions and through the competition, organizations will be equipped with knowledge on how to establish good housekeeping practices while enhancing the productivity of the organization. The focus of Council every year promotional campaign is the "Occupational Safety Health Week". The inauguration ceremony of OSH Week took place on 3 November 2000 in form of TV program to attract widespread of public attention. The theme of 2000 is to promote the message of Safe Community. The OSH Week appealed to a large audience from different segments of community to disseminate the message of safety and health to the public. The event marked successful with the joint efforts of a large number of institutions, organizations, trade unions, district associations and government departments. Another highlights of the Council's promotional event is the Occupational Health Day. This activity is to remind the employees and employers to pay attention to the occupational health issues. In the Year 2001, we have organized a workshop and seminar on managing workplace in response to the increasing concerns about the mental health issue from the society. Internationally renowned speakers shared their experiences on managing work stress with the participants. The Council also organizes the Safety Quiz that aims at reinforcing the knowledge of safety and health for the public. The Safety Quiz falls into three different categories: Enterprise, Union and Student and was welcomed by the students and the public in Tuen Mun. They gain the latest information on safety and health issue through this exciting game. (1) (2) Photo : OSH promotion to public and safety quiz (1) (2) Youth Programme Building the safety culture should be started at early stage, recognizing the importance of safety and health; the Council has launched a variety program targeting the youth. One of the programs was "summer job safety day camp" held at July 2001 with over 200 students participated. Tailored-made workshops were given to them on work safety. The youth promotional program also included 40

41 the site visit to CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd, Fire Station, YKK Hong Kong Ltd, Green Island Cement Co Ltd and Lingnan University. Workshops and talks were then given at the companies to arouse students sense of work safety. As the youngster will join the workforce soon, it is importance to arouse their attention and awareness on work safety. Seminars and demonstrations on proper use of tools for different types of work were performed to alert the youngsters on summer job safety. Several road shows forcing on the student safety at work were also held during the summer holiday so as to increase students' awareness through exposure to work places. The Council has also issued the video featuring the summer job safety, which was distributed to the secondary schools and Youth centres in Tuen Mun. Hence, in July 2000, the Tuen Mun Student Safety Day-Carnival" and Tuen Mun Safe Community Logo Inauguration Ceremony was held at Yan Oi Town. The Honorable Lau Wong Fat, GBS, Patron of the Tuen Mun Safe Community officiate the ceremony. The promotional program was community based, with company from various sectors and people from all walks of life participating and implementing the safety in to their work. By joining hands with the organizations and people living in the community surely help to lay down building blocks for the future development of the safe community. (1) (2) Photo : Students visiting safety department of organization (1) Student Safety Day for summer job (2) Figure : Number of students of industrial injuries (Source : Tuen Mun Hospital) Year 1999 Year 2000 Year 2001 Variance (2001 vs 1999) Aged (-16.2%) 41

42 5.4.4 Occupational Safety & Health Week The Tuen Mun District Office supported an annual carnival for promotion of Occupational Safety & Health to improve the awareness of Work Safety for all Tuen Mun citizens. The Tuen Mun Safety Week 2001carried out a series of promotional activities, including two safety & health promotional mobile exhibitions in Leung King Estate and Butterfly Estate in Tuen Mun, advertisement in Tuen Mun newspaper, and a large-scale carnival as well as a variety shoe held in December of In the carnival, there was safety quiz competition that drew the attention of many residents. For the safety quiz, participating teams from both private sector and schools took part in the competition. Also, celebrity was invited for performance, which added on much success to the activities. (1) (2) (3) (4) Photo : Occupational Safety & Health Carnival (1) (2) (3) (4) 42

43 6. Ongoing participation in national and international Safe Communities networks. Mr. Henk Harberts from Latrobe City, Victoria, Australia and Dr. Joon Pil-cho, Director of Emergency Medical Centre of Ajou University hospital, Suwon of Korea, first visited the Tuen Mun Safe Community in 2001 when we shared with each other the experience for the Safe Community Project. A visit to the Emergency Department of Tuen Mun Hospital was arranged afterwards. In 2002, Professor Svanstrom visited Tuen Mun Hospital and provided invaluable advice to members of the Tuen Mun Safe Community for the improvement of the various prevention programs currently implemented. After an experience sharing session, with members, the Professor visited the Emergency Department and the Community Service Centre of Tuen Mun Hospital and the Tin King Estate. In 2002, the Tuen Mun Hospital was visited by a team of Engineers and Safety Managers from Beijing, Capital of Mainland China. A presentation and discussion for the Tuen Mun Safe Community was arranged for experience sharing and exchange of ideas. The hospital was also introduced to the visitors through a tour guided around the hospital. (1) (2) (3) (4) Photo : Profession Svanstrom visiting KCRC-Light Rail (1) Safety Managers from China visiting Tuen Mun Hospital (2) Professor Svanstrom visiting Tin King Estate of Tuen Mun Community (3) (4) 43