Projects
Safe & Healthy Estate
As Kwai Tsing has a large proportion of residents living in public housing estates, a "Safe and Healthy Estate Schema" designed to improve home safety and health was firstly launched in 2002. A set of criteria were developed as outcome measure for accreditation by the KTSCHCA. There criteria include: estate management, greening, safe facilities for the elderly and people with disabilities, education and promotion on health and safety, risk assessment and risk identification in the home and the checklist for home safety is listed as below.
The accreditation process was carried out by a panel made up of representatives from the China Light and Power Co. Ltd, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, PMH, Department of Health, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Hong Kong Housing Authority, HKSKH Lady MacLehose Centre, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, HK & China Gas Co. Ltd, HK Fire Services Department, OSH Council and the KTSCHCA.
Objective of the Safe and Healthy Estate project was strengthen the property management on key areas related to safety and health in the neighborhood. Improvement programs involving the residents, housing managers, public utilities and volunteers were found to be effective in implementing change in the living environment. Promotional activities such as home safety exhibition, health talks, first aid training and fire drills were organized to cultivate safety culture. A total of 10 seminars on home safety and health; and 8 health check events were held with over 2,000 residents participating. As part of the assessment scheme, 2 site visits were organized for each estate. A total of 16 site inspections had been conducted under the scheme.
Cheung Ching was the first "Safe and Healthy Estate" accredited in 2003. Since then 7 estates have passed the assessment and 4 estates have just submitted their applications and will be assessed in 2008. A total of 108,259 residents would be involved.
| Name of Estate (Year of Accreditation) | Blocks | Residents |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 76 | 108,259 |
| Cheung Ching Estate – public housing (2002) | 8 | 15,455 |
| Lai Yan Court – public housing (2005) | 3 | 4,480 |
| Tierra Verde – private housing (2005) | 12 | 12,250 |
| Grand Horizon – private housing (2005) | 5 | 4,296 |
| Greenfield Garden – private housing (2007) | 11 | 12,800 |
| Mount Haven – private housing (2007) | 5 | 16,320 |
| Cho Yiu Chuen – public housing (2007) | 8 | 7,600 |
| Po Sing Centre – private housing (2008) | 4 | 2,500 |
| Cheung Hang Estate – public housing (2008) | 6 | 15,025 |
| Tsing Yi Estate – public housing (2008) | 7 | 11,533 |
| Tsing Yi Garden – private housing (2008) | 7 | 6,000 |
With the success of the scheme, the OSH Council recognized the importance and the need for quality estates management to maintain a safe and healthy environment at the community level. In 2006, the OSH Council launched the Safe and Healthy Estate Accreditation Scheme. A guidance kit was issued to facilitate estate managers to adopt the safety management system. A certificate of accreditation would be awarded to the estate if assessment results meet the required standards. Briefing of the Scheme had been included in the award ceremony of the Kwai Tsing Safe and Healthy Estate in September 2007 in order to promote the accreditation schema among housing managers in Kwai Tsing.
