Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Protection against Accidents (Dockers) Convention (Revised), 1932 (No. 32) - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Ratification: 1997)

Part V of the report form. Application in practice. The Committee notes the information on the number of inspections carried out during the period of June 2012 to May 2019, in particular that the Labour Department initiated a total of 51 prosecutions for breaches of the relevant legislation relating to cargo handling on shore. As a result of these inspections, 28 convictions were secured. The Marine Department initiated a total of 495 prosecutions for breaches of the legislation relating to cargo handling on board vessels, out of which 463 convictions were secured. The Committee also notes the statistical information on reported accidents in cargo handling operations, comparing the periods of June 2012 to May 2017 with June 2017 to May 2019 with regard to: (i) dock work on ships/lighters, where the number of fatal accidents fell from 15 to 4 and the number of non-fatal accidents fell from 515 to 144; and (ii) dock work on wharves, where the number of fatal accidents fell from 1 to 0 and non-fatal accidents fell from 26 to 13. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing statistical information on the number of inspections carried out, the number and nature of contraventions reported, the number and causes of occupational accidents reported, as well as any relevant information on the implementation of the Convention in practice.

Prospects for the ratification of the most up-to-date Convention. The Committee takes this opportunity to encourage the Government to follow up on the decision adopted by the Governing Body at its 328th Session (October–November 2016) approving the recommendations of the Standards Review Mechanism Tripartite Working Group, and to consider ratifying the Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Convention, 1979 (No. 152), which is the most up-to-date instrument in this subject area. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any measures taken in this regard.