Floor openings present a serious risk on construction sites, as workers can accidentally fall through them, leading to severe or fatal injuries. To address this concern, the Labour Department of the HKSAR Government has established safety guidelines. These guidelines outline key requirements for employers to prevent falls through floor openings.
The first requirement is to conduct task-specific risk assessments for work near floor openings. A competent individual must be designated to perform these assessments. Based on the identified risks, employers must implement control measures to ensure worker safety.
One crucial measure is to provide adequate covering for floor openings. The coverings should be structurally sound and capable of bearing weight. They must be designed to prevent falls of individuals, materials, and objects. Additionally, coverings must be securely fixed to prevent accidental displacement. Clear markings or signs should be displayed on the coverings to alert workers to the openings below.
Employers must promptly replace damaged or improper coverings to maintain safety standards. Furthermore, all floor openings require suitable guardrails and toe-boards. Top guardrails should be between 900 mm and 1150 mm in height, while intermediate guardrails should be between 450 mm and 600 mm. Toe-boards should be at least 200 mm high.
Regular safety inspections and proactive on-site monitoring are essential to identifying unprotected floor openings. Employers should restrict work near these openings until necessary control measures, such as coverings or guardrails, are in place. If providing coverings or guardrails is impractical, effective fall arresting systems must be established, including appropriate safety harnesses and fall arresters continuously attached to secure anchorage points.
Proper lighting is crucial to enhancing visibility and minimising accidents. Employers should ensure sufficient and suitable lighting in the workplace, including areas around floor openings.
Safety training is paramount. Innovations like CCTV surveillance and floor covering methodologies can enhance site safety. In some cases, risks are eliminated through design, such as embedding coverings during concrete pouring, requiring collaboration among professionals like architects, structural engineers, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineers.
By following these safety guidelines and implementing necessary control measures, employers can significantly reduce the risk of falls through floor openings, ensuring worker safety on construction sites.
This article is contributed by Ir Victor W F Tse with the coordination of the Safety Specialist Committee.