Property Management Services Authority Organises Continuing Professional Development Seminar Jointly with Home Affairs Department and Labour Department for over 300 Members of the Property Management Industry on the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance and Occupational Safety for Repair, Maintenance, Alteration and Addition Works

The Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) organised today a Continuing Professional Development seminar jointly with the Office of the Licensing Authority, Home Affairs Department and the Labour Department for over 300 members of the property management (PM) industry on matters which PM practitionars should pay attention to regarding the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance, and how the PM industry should properly handle repair, maintenance, alteration and addition (RMAA) works including that a safe working environment should be provided to PM staff and contractors.

Mr. Wong Ho Tak, Senior Station Officer (Licensing Authority), Office of the Licensing Authority, Home Affairs Department; Mr. Tse Chun Ming, Divisional Occupational Safety Officer (Technical Support Unit), and Ms. Hung Lai King, Divisional Occupational Safety Officer (Engagement and Liaison) of the Labour Department were invited as speakers for the seminar.

Dr James Wong, Chairperson of the PMSA said, “In accordance with the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance (Cap. 349), operating or managing an unlicensed hotel or guesthouse is a criminal offence, and both owners and tenants are liable. PM staff have the duty to understand the licensing regulation of hotels and guesthouses and how to verify as to whether a guesthouse in their serviced building is licensed. PM staff should also be aware of the guesthouse industry’s operation mode in recent years; if an owner requests PM staff to pass on the apartment key/keycard to ‘friends and relatives’ or ‘visitors’, PM staff should be vigilant so as to avoid breaching the law unknowingly.”

Chairperson Wong also appealed at the same seminar for the PM industry to provide safe working environment for PM staff and contractors, “In accordance with the Property Management Services Ordinance (Cap. 626), PM services are set out in seven categories, namely general management services, management of the environment, repair, maintenance and improvement, finance and asset management, facility management, human resources management, and legal services, many of which involve occupational safety issues, such as working at height, facility maintenance and repair, working in closed spaces, usage and storage of dangerous goods, etc. The Hong Kong community is facing the challenges posed by ageing buildings. PM companies and practitioners often have to carry out building maintenance and repair work. Although the industry and property owners have in recent years gradually raised their awareness in respect of building maintenance and repair, many still may not focus on the importance of adopting proper safety measures when carrying out maintenance and repair works. If proper safety measures are not adopted when dealing with building maintenance or scaffolding works, it may result in project delay, disruption of property operation, or even casualties and related litigation.”

In response to public concerns about scaffolding and suspended working platform works safety, the PMSA promulgated earlier the “Handling Scaffolding Works” and “Handling Suspended Platform Works” Codes of Conduct and respective Best Practice Guides to provide practical guidance to the PM industry so as to strengthen their safety awareness when carrying out scaffolding and suspended working platform works in properties, thereby minimising the occurrence of accidents.

To further enhance scaffolding work safety, the Labour Department has published a revised Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety which will take effect on 19 October this year. The PMSA will revise its “Handling Scaffolding Works” Code of Conduct issued earlier accordingly to tie in with the Labour Department’s efforts in raising the standard of occupational safety.