Occupational Safety and Health

Statistics Bulletin
Issue No. 17 ( August 2017 )
Occupational Safety and Health Branch, Labour Department

This Bulletin provides statistics of work-related accidents and confirmed cases of

occupational disease in Hong Kong with information, analysis and trend on various
economic sectors and selected industries. Employers, employees and occupational safety
and health practitioners, by benchmarking against the overall accident rate and the industry
average in this bulletin, can better manage the occupational safety and health programme
of their own organisations.

The Labour Department attaches great importance to enhancing occupational safety and
health, and is committed to ensuring that risks to the safety of people at work are properly
managed and addressed through legislation and enforcement, publicity and promotion as
well as education and training. Through the concerted efforts of all parties concerned,
including employers, employees, contractors, safety professionals, trade associations,
workers’ unions, related organisations and government departments, Hong Kong's
occupational safety performance has been improving steadily in the past decade.

In 2016, the number of occupational injuries in all workplaces stood at 35 768, a decrease
of 0.2 per cent over 2015, while the injury rate per 1 000 employees decreased from 12.1 to
11.9, a decrease of 0.9 per cent. The number of industrial accidents in all industries in
2016 stood at 10 883, a decrease of 5.3 per cent over 2015, while the accident rate per
1 000 workers decreased from 18.4 to 17.1, down by 6.8 per cent.

The high-risk construction industry recorded 3 720 industrial accidents in 2016, 0.1 per
cent down when compared to 3 723 in 2015. Over the same period, the accident rate per
1 000 workers decreased by 11.8 per cent from 39.1 to 34.5. The number of accidents
increased by 22.3 per cent and the accident rate dropped by 43.1 per cent in the past decade,
the construction industry still recorded highest number of fatalities and accident rate
among all industry sectors.

1
Occupational Injuries
 In 2016, there were 35 768 occupational
Number of Occupational Injuries injuries, lower than 35 852 in 2015 by
No.of Occupational and Injury Rate per 1 000 Employees Injury Rate per 0.2%, 43 979 in 2007 by 18.7% and the
Injuries 2007 to 2016 1 000 Employees
average of the past five years (37 415) by
60 000 30 4.4%.
50 000
43 979
41 900 39 579
41 907
40 578 39 907
 The injury rate per 1 000 employees in
38 027
40 000 37 523
35 852 35 768 20 2016 was 11.9, lower than 12.1 in 2015
by 0.9%, 16.9 in 2007 by 29.2% and the
30 000 average of the past five years (12.8) by
16.9 15.8
15.0 15.5
14.6 14.1 13.2 6.8%.
20 000 12.8 10
12.1 11.9

10 000

0 0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
No. of Occupational Injuries Occupational Injury Rate

Number of Occupational Fatalities  In 2016, there were 203 occupational

No.of Occupational and Fatality Rate per 1 000 Employees Fatality Rate per
fatalities, higher than 177 in 2015 by
Fatalities
2007 to 2016 1 000 Employees 14.7%, 172 in 2007 by 18% and the
220 0.10 average of the past five years (195) by
210
4.2%.
203
196
0.09
200
191
188
 The occupational fatality rate in 2016 was
181
183 0.08 0.068 per 1 000 employees, higher than
177
180
172
0.060 in 2015 by 13.9%, 0.066 in 2007 by
165
0.07 2.7% and the average of the past five
0.068 0.069 0.069 0.071 years (0.067) by 1.7%
160 0.066 0.068 0.065 0.068
0.063 0.06
0.060

140 0.05
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

No. of Occupational Fatalities Occupational Fatality Rate

 Of the 35 768 occupational injuries in

Occupational Injuries in All Workplaces
2016, over 80% occurred in the following
- Distribution by Major Economic Activities
major economic sectors:
2016

Public 29.9% Import/Export, Wholesale and

Import/Export,
Administration,
Wholesale and
Retail Trades, Accommodation
Social and Personal and Food Services
Retail Trades,
Services
21.2%
Accommodation and 21.2% Public Administration, Social
Food Services and Personal Services
29.9%
19.7% Financing, Insurance, Real
Estate, Professional and
Others Business Services
17.7%
11.5% Transportation, Storage, Postal
and Courier Services,
Information and
Transportation, Communications
Financing,
Storage, Postal and
Insurance, Real
Courier Services,
Estate, Professinal
Information and
and Business
Communications
Services
11.5%
19.7%

2
Industrial Accidents
 In 2016, the number of industrial accidents
Number of Industrial Accidents was 10 883, lower than 11 497 in 2015 by
No.of Industrial and Accident Rate per 1 000 Workers Accident Rate per 5.3% and the average of the past five
Accidents 2007 to 2016 1 000 Workers
years (11 685) by 6.9%.
25 000 50
 The accident rate per 1 000 workers in
20 000 40 2016 was 17.1, lower than 18.4 in 2015 by
16 117
14 932 14 015 13 658
6.8% and the average of the past five
15 000 13 600 30
12 547
11 820 11 677 11 497
years (19.1) by 10.3%.
29.3 10 883
27.2
10 000 24.6 24.9
20
23.6
21.3 19.6 19.0 18.4 17.1
5 000 10

0 0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

No. of Industrial Accidents Accident Rate Change of HSIC Version#

 In 2016, the number of industrial fatalities

Number of Industrial Fatalities was 18, lower than 24 in 2015 by 25% and
No.of Industrial and Fatality Rate per 1 000 Workers Fatality Rate per the average of the past five years (25) by
Fatalities 2007 to 2016 1 000 Workers
27.4%.
40 0.10

 The industrial fatality rate per 1 000

30
29 29
28
0.08 workers in 2016 was 0.028, lower than
25
24
25 24 0.038 in 2015 by 26.2% and the average of
21 0.06 the past five years (0.041) by 30.3%.
20 18 18
0.050 0.049 0.04
0.045 0.044 0.046 0.041
0.038 0.038
10 0.032
0.028 0.02

0 0.00
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

No. of Industrial Fatalities Industrial Fatality Rate Change of HSIC Version#

Number of Industrial Accidents and Accident Rate  In 2016, there were 3 720 industrial
per 1 000 Workers in Construction Industry accidents in the construction industry,
No.of Industrial lower than 3 723 in 2015 by 0.1%, higher
2007 to 2016 Accident Rate per
Accidents 1 000 Workers than 3 042 in 2007 by 22.3% and the
5 000 100 average of the past five years (3 460) by
7.5%.
4 000 3 723 3 720 80
3 467

3 042 3 033
2 884
3 112
3 160 3 232
 The accident rate per 1 000 workers of the
3 000 2 755 60 construction industry in 2016 was 34.5,
60.6 61.4
54.6 52.1
lower than 39.1 in 2015 by 11.8%, 60.6 in
49.7
2 000 44.3 40 2007 by 43.1% and the average of the past
40.8 41.9
39.1
34.5 five years (40.1) by 14%.
1 000 20

0 0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
No. of Industrial Accidents Accident Rate

3
  In 2016, the number of industrial fatalities
Number of Industrial Fatalities and Fatality Rate in the construction industry was 10, lower
per 1 000 Workers in Construction Industry Fatality Rate per than 19 in 2015, 19 in 2007 and
No.of Industrial
2007 to 2016 1 000 Workers the average of the past five years (19)
Fatalities
40 1.0 by 47.4%.

30
0.8  The industrial fatality rate per 1 000
23 24 workers of the construction industry in
22
19 20 19 20 19
0.6 2016 was 0.093, lower than 0.200 in 2015
20 by 53.6%, 0.379 in 2007 by 75.5% and the
0.4 average of the past five years (0.230) by
9 10
10
0.379 0.405 0.376 0.367 59.6%.
0.337
0.277 0.2
0.242
0.163 0.200
0.093
0 0.0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
No. of Industrial Fatalities Industrial Fatality Rate

 In 2016, there were 4 975 industrial

Number of Industrial Accidents and Accident Rate accidents in the food and beverage
per 1 000 Workers in Food and Beverage Services services, lower than 5 386 in 2015 by 7.6%
No.of Industrial
Accidents
2009 to 2016 Accident Rate per
and the average of the past five years
1 000 Workers
10 000 50 (5 577) by 10.8%.

8 000 7 470
7 541
40  The accident rate per 1 000 workers of the
7 158
food and beverage services in 2016 was
35.7 34.7 6 216 30
30.9 5 740 5 566
20.5, lower than 22.1 in 2015 by 7.4% and
6 000 5386
26.4 4975 the average of the past five years (23.2) by
24.2 20
22.9 22.1 11.7%.
20.5
4 000
10

2 000 0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

No. of Industrial Accidents Accident Rate

Number of Industrial Accidents and Accident Rate

 In 2016, there were 1 497 industrial
accidents in the manufacturing industry,
per 1 000 Workers in Manufacturing Industry
No.of Industrial Accident Rate per lower than 1 675 in 2015 by 10.6% and the
2009 to 2016
Accidents 1 000 Workers average of the past five years (1 736) by
3 000 30 13.7%.

 The accident rate per 1 000 workers of the

1 991 2 009 2 001 1 944
manufacturing industry in 2016 was 15.6,
2 000 1 775 1 787 20 lower than 16.8 in 2015 by 7.3% and the
1 675
18.2
1 497 average of the past five years (17.0) by
17.8 17.4
15.9
16.8 17.1 16.8
15.6
8.4%.

1 000 10

0 0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
No. of Industrial Accidents Accident Rate

4
Occupational Diseases
Number of Confirmed Occupational Diseases in 2007-2016
 In 2016, there were 334 cases of confirmed
Number of Confirmed Occupational Diseases in occupational diseases (including monaural
2007-2016 hearing loss*), compared with 256 in 2015.
500 * The coverage of the Occupational
422
400 334
Deafness (Compensation) Ordinance has
330 been extended to employees with
300 268 267 256
229 231 noise-induced monaural hearing loss in
204
177
200 April 2010. In 2010, 510 old cases related to
100 monaural hearing loss were handled. The
number of confirmed occupational diseases
0
in 2011 to 2016 has included monaural
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
hearing loss.

Number of Confirmed Occupational Diseases in 2016

Occupational Disease Number  The most common occupational diseases
Occupational Deafness (including monaural hearing loss) 184 confirmed in 2016 were occupational
Tenosynovitis of the Hand or Forearm 63 deafness (including monaural hearing loss),
tenosynovitis of the hand or forearm and
Silicosis 43
silicosis.
Gas Poisoning 14
Occupational Dermatitis 11
Mesothelioma 7
Tuberculosis 6
Asbestosis 4
Mercury Poisoning 1
Streptococcus suis Infection 1
Total 334

Occupational Deafness
 There were 184 cases of occupational
Number of Occupational Deafness in 2007-2016 deafness (including monaural hearing loss*)
250 in 2016. Cases were engaged in the
226 following work:
200 184
37.5% Working near internal combustion
149
engines, turbines, pressurised fuel
150 133 burners or jet engines
98 102 26.1% Rock grinding, chiselling, cutting
100 77 or percussion
70
58
47 13.6% Metal grinding
50 9.3% Abrasive blasting operations
5.4% High speed web-fed offset printing
0
2.7% Pile driving
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
2.2% Using routing, planing, circular
sawing machine or automatic
lathes
1.1% Metal percussion
1.1% Descaling of ships
0.5% Weaving or spinning
0.5% Crushing or screening of rock

* The coverage of the Occupational Deafness

(Compensation) Ordinance has been extended to
employees with noise-induced monaural hearing
loss in April 2010. In 2010, 510 old cases related
to monaural hearing loss were handled. The
number of occupational deafness in 2011 to 2016
has included monaural hearing loss.

5
Pneumoconiosis
 In 2016, there were 43 confirmed cases
Number of Pneumoconiosis in 2007-2016 of silicosis. Most of these cases worked
160 in the construction industry.
140
120  Those silicosis cases had history of
100 5 exposure to the silica dust in their
80 2 5 9 2 occupations many years ago. In the past
1 0 10 years, the number of confirmed cases
60 2 4
3 was in a decreasing trend but
86
40 67 65 61 63
51
68
56 occasionally with year on year fluctuation.
20 44 43

0
 There were 4 confirmed cases of
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
asbestosis in 2016, they were employees
Silicosis Asbestosis in the construction and shipbuilding
industries, etc.

Tenosynovitis of the Hand or Forearm

 In 2016, there were 63 confirmed cases of
Number of Tenosynovitis of the Hand or Forearm in tenosynovitis of the hand or forearm. The
2007-2016 disease was common among clerical
100
support workers, personal service workers
and elementary occupations, etc.
90
80  Distribution by industry of the 63 cases in
70 69 2016:
70 64 63
39.7% Public administration, and social
60
48 and personal services
50
38
22.2% Accommodation and food
40 40 39
35 31 services
30 14.3% Import/Export, wholesale and
20 retail trades
9.5% Manufacturing
10
9.5% Professional and business
0 services
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 1.6% Information and communications
1.6% Transportation, storage, postal
and courier services
1.6% Construction
Gas Poisoning
 There were 6 incidents of gas poisoning
Number of Gas Poisoning Cases in 2007-2016 in 2016 and 14 workers were injured. The
noxious chemical agents identified were
45
chlorine, hydrogen sulphide, etc.
40
35
30
25
17 17
20 14 14
11 7
15 6
4 8 5
10 1 5 4 5 6
4 5 4
5 1 3
0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

No. of incidents No. of victims

6
Tuberculosis in Health Care Workers
 Regarding the 6 cases of tuberculosis
Number of Tuberculosis in Health Care Workers in confirmed in 2016, the disease most
2007-2016 commonly occurred among nurses and
40 other personal care workers.
35
30
25
25
20 18 17
16 15
15 11
9
10 7 7 6
5
0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Occupational Dermatitis
 The causative agents for the 11 cases
Number of Occupational Dermatitis in 2007-2016 of occupational dermatitis in 2016 were
related to beauty, construction and
12
11 medical materials.
10
10

8 7 7

6 5

4 3 3 3
2
2 1

0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Other Occupational Diseases

 In 2016, there was no confirmed cases
Number of Other Occupational Diseases
of compressed air illness.
in 2007-2016
20  In 2016 there were 7 confirmed cases
18 of mesothelioma and most of the cases
16 were engaged in the construction and
14
shipbuilding industries, etc.
12
 In 2016, there was 1 confirmed case of
10
infection by Streptococcus suis and the
8
worker was engaged in the meat
6
handling industry.
4
 In 2016, there was 1 confirmed case of
2
mercury poisoning and the worker was
0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 engaged in the dental care industry.
Carpal tunnel syndrome Radiation illness
Occupational asthma
Cadmium poisoning
Compressed air illness
Streptococcus suis infectionMesothelioma
Leptospirosis
Avian chlamydiosis Brucellosis
Poisoning by halogen derivatives of hydrocarbons of the aliphatic series
Phosphorus poisoning
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7
Definitions and further information

Occupational injuries (including industrial accidents) are injury cases arising from work accidents, resulting in
death or incapacity for work of over three days, and reported under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance.

Industrial accidents refer to injuries and deaths arising from industrial activities in industrial undertakings as
defined under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance.

Occupational diseases are the confirmed occupational diseases reported under the Employees’ Compensation
Ordinance, the Occupational Deafness (Compensation) Ordinance and the Pneumoconiosis and Mesothelioma
(Compensation) Ordinance.

Injury rate per 1 000 employees is calculated by:

Number of occupational injuries x 1 000

*Employment size

Accident rate per 1 000 workers is calculated by:

Number of industrial accidents x 1 000

*Employment size

*Figures of employment size are based on the Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies Statistics published
by the Census and Statistics Department.

The components that form the statistics may vary from country to country in respect of the legal
requirements in the reporting of accidents and occupational diseases, the economic sectors covered and
the definition of workforce. Accident and occupational disease statistics of different countries may not be
directly comparable and should therefore be interpreted with care.
#
Notes :
(a) Since 2009, the Quarterly Survey of Employment and Vacancies conducted by the Census and Statistics
Department has been enhanced to adopt the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC) Version 2.0 to
replace the HSIC Version 1.1 in compiling the statistics on the number of establishments, persons engaged and
vacancies. Thenceforth all the statistics contained in the Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies
Statistics are in HSIC version 2.0. Only the coverage of the Construction Industry is the same in both HSIC
Version 1.1 and Version 2.0. Other industries, even with the same labels in HSIC Version 2.0, have different
coverage. For information of HSIC Version 1.1 and Version 2.0, please refer to the webpage of the Census and
Statistics Department.

(b)The number of occupational injuries/industrial accidents and injury/accident rates per 1 000 employees/workers
in 2009 and after are compiled based on HSIC Version 2.0, and may not be strictly comparable to those published
previously under HSIC Version 1.1.

For enquiry or further information relating to the accident statistics of this Bulletin,
please contact the Information and Development Division at Tel 2815 0678 or Fax 2541 8537

For enquiry or further information relating to the occupational disease statistics of this Bulletin, please
contact the Occupational Medicine Division (Health Promotion) at
Tel 2852 4041 or Fax 2581 2049

For complaints regarding unsafe workplaces and practices,

please call the Support Services Division at Tel 2542 2172
All complaints will be treated in the strictest confidence
Email : enquiry@labour.gov.hk