Safe Community Tsuen Wan

Country: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
Number of inhabitants: 294,400 (2008 Statistic)
Programme started year: 2002
International Safe Communities Network Membership: Designation year: 2006
Information address : http://www.twshc.org.hk

For further information:
Miss Nien LIU
Tsuen Wan Safe Community Executive Secretary
Social Service Department, The Yuen Yuen Institute,
Sam Dip Tam, Tsuen Wan, N.T.
Hong Kong, China
Phone: +(852) 2415 - 4599
Fax: +(852) 2493 - 4631
E-mail:twshc@twshc.org.hk

 
Logo of Tsuen Wan Safe Community

Vision
To create a safe and healthy living and working environment in Tsuen Wan through the promotion of a safe and healthy culture.

Mission
To reduce the frequency of injuries and accidents through collaboration of different community groups, local corporations, business, organizations, associations, schools, health care providers, government agencies and people of the district.


The programs cover the following safety promotion activities:
For the age group
Child 0-14 years:
Workshops on infant and child safety
Prenatal workshops are conducted by the Tsuen Wan Adventist Hospital and the Princess Margaret Hospital for parents who are expecting their baby. During the workshops, pregnant women learn the correct way of wearing safety belt in car to minimize the extent of car accidents if happened. Parents learn to select safe toys and cot for infant. Moreover, the potential risks at home are identified and the home modifications are suggested to prevent injuries and accidents. Safety and health programs for postnatal parents are also given to reinforce the concept of infant and child injury prevention by the Maternal and Child Care centre of the Department of Health.
 


‘Safe and healthy kids in kindergarten’ project
The project was launched to instill home safety and health concept to kindergarten students and their parents in 2004. Home safety prevention including falls, suffocation, finger pinching, scald etc. was taught to the students in class. A comprehensive file of home safety pamphlets prepared by the Department of Health, the Princess Margaret Hospital and the Yan Chai Hospital on child injury prevention was given to the parents. Visits to the resource center for home safety demonstration were arranged by the schools.

Educational talks by the Electric and Mechanical Services Department (ESMD)
Safety awareness should be nurtured and taught at the early stage. Regular talks on the topics of passenger lifts, escalators, town gas, home electricity, and mechanical games are given to all kindergarten students in Tsuen Wan.
 
Educational talks by EMSD to kindergarten students

Road safety promotion for kids
Road Safety Patrol Teams are organized in the kindergarten, primary and secondary schools to build up a safe pedestrian model in school. Students visit the Road Safety City in Kwun Tong where safe way of road crossing and road crossing facilities are demonstrated. In addition, regular road safety talks are given by the Police Force in school.
 
Road Safety Patrol Team


Youth 15-24 years:
Survey on secondary students’ behaviour
A Survey on risky behaviours of the secondary students in Tsuen Wan was done in 2003. The report was given to the all the school principals and teachers for reference in conducting safety and moral education in school. The common risky behaviours are riding bicycle without wearing a helmet, smoking, drug abuse, bullying, school violence and self-harm, etc. The result showed that student’s self-harm and violence behaviours are closely related to depression and low self-esteem. On the other hand, regular life style and physical exercise can minimize the harmful behaviours. Therefore, the project of ‘Regular exercise for healthy life’ was launched to establish a positive life style in students.
 
Regular exercise for healthy life in young people

Student safe ambassadors
Training on first aid and sport safety was organized for secondary school students in the resource center of the Princess Margaret Hospital. Concept on anti-drug abuse, anti-crime and anti-smoking was also instilled to them. Students were recruited for the safe and healthy promotion activities for the public road crossing facilities and so as to enhance harmony of the community.

Junior Police Call (JPC)
At the end of 2004, there were about 8,000 Junior Police Call (JPC) members, and about 1,600 JPC leaders in Tsuen Wan. Anti-drug abuse and crime prevention programs are held regularly by the Police Force and the Tsuen Wan District Council.

Adult 25-64 years:
Occupational safety exhibition
Roving exhibitions on occupational safety were done in Tsuen Wan Mass Transit Railway Station and different shopping centres to arouse attention on occupational safety. Physiotherapists could be consulted for proper manual handling techniques to avoid injuries during lifting. Quiz on occupational safety was conducted and souvenir was given to remind ‘safety first’ during everyday work.

Exhibition on occupational safety

Deception prevention in elderly
Deception prevention talks are given by the Police Force in the district town hall, elderly centre and elderly home. Pamphlets with different deception situations illustrated are given to them.

The programme covers the following safety promotion activities:
At the following environments:
Schools
Safe and healthy school
A working group has been formed to promote safe and healthy culture in school and instill safe and healthy concepts at young age. In 2004, the project of ‘Safe and healthy school award’ was launched. Schools were encouraged to set up their safe and healthy policies and programmes according to the needs of the schools and the students. The schools were awarded after setting up an emergency, first aid, fire and environmental safety improvement plan in school.

‘One school one doctor’ project
The project is launched in 2005 which emphasizes liaison with the community doctor, Occupational Safety and Healthy Council, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Yuen Yuen Institute and the parents. Training is given to the doctors by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. An advisory team consisted of the staff of the above mentioned organizations is formed in assisting the school to establish a safe and healthy school environment. The team visits schools for environment check, safety polices reviewed and educational programmes discussion. Occupational safety of teachers is also concerned, in which advice and training is given as indicated. There are total 30 schools, including kindergarten, primary and secondary school participated.
 
Environment check at school kitchen

Home/Estates
Safe and healthy estate
A working group has been formed to promote home safety and healthy life style through collaboration of the residents and the estate management companies. Training courses have been given to the staff of the management companies on renovation and maintenance work safety. Improvement works on estate safety, for example, estate security, corridor lighting, labeling system and clear instructions of different kinds of cleaning materials, regular check on aluminum window frame, maintenance of fire system, etc. are encouraged. 13 estates have joined the programme. Estate safety of the district, regarding, town gas, home electricity, passenger lift, fire system are checked by the correspondent departments and companies to ensure safe and effective condition for use.

Elderly homes
Safe and healthy elderly home award
A working group has been formed to improve the safety and healthy standard in both government subverted and private elderly home in Tsuen Wan. The elderly homes are awarded if they fulfill the requirements set by the Occupational Safety and Health Council. Workshops conducted by the expertise of the Princess Margaret Hospital and the Occupational Safety and Health Council are provided to the staff of the elderly home. The contents of the workshops are Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, manual handling of elderly and infection control in elderly home.

Workplace
Regular inspections and training
All the workplaces, including office, shopping area, construction site, etc are inspected regularly by the Labor Department to ensure safe practice. Legal action or verbal warning would be given according to the extent of the danger. There is a training centre locating at Tsuen Wan where all kinds of occupational safety and health course can be given to the public.

Promotion of workplace safety
The Occupational Safety and Health Council works with the corporations in Tsuen Wan to establish a safe management system. Expertise of the Council inspects the working environment, evaluates the working procedure, identifies the potential risk factors, and gives advice on the improvement areas.

Occupational Safety Charter in Tsuen Wan
There will be about 50 companies and agencies in Tsuen Wan join the occupational safety charter project. Representatives of both the employer and the employee will sign the occupational safety charter, in order to promote occupational safety all over the workplace.

Rural area and countryside safety
Lots of environmental improvement works have been done by the local government to ensure rural area and countryside safety. Repair of footpath at Ting Kau Village and repair of steps and railings at Tsing Tau Village are some of the examples of the improvement works. The completion of these safety initiatives would reduce the potential risk of physical environment to the public, prevent injuries and accidents, provide safe access to roads in rural areas and create a better living environment to residents.

 
Before

After
Repair of steps and railing at Tsing Tau Village

Road Safety
Promotion of safe practice of pedestrians, drivers and passengers are equally important. Road safety carnivals are held regularly to educate road safety to the public. On site education by giving appreciation to safe walker and correction to jay-walker has been carried out by the Police Force and the Tsuen Wan District Council. The effect was remarkable. Promotional campaign of safe driving, for example ‘no speeding’, ‘never drive after alcohol intake’, etc. have been emphasized. Moreover, both drivers and passengers have been educated to put on the safety belt in car to minimize the extent of car accident injury.

On site education on road safety

Violence Prevention (Crime prevention)
Crime Prevention
Promotion of crime prevention by carnival and roving exhibition are held regularly by the Police Force and the Tsuen Wan District Council. Talks on crime prevention through environmental design, access control system and taking security precaution at home were given to the management companies and residents of the estate to avoid crime.

Crime Prevention Mobile Exhibition Services and "Robotcop" Shows
The Crime Prevention Bureau operates a Crime Prevention Display Bus which contains a display of security equipment suitable for use in the home and office. Regular mobile exhibitions are arranged in Tsuen Wan, so that even the young and the old generation can learn crime prevention message through the demonstration in the Bus.

Fire Safety and Environmental Protection
Fire prevention
Carnivals and roving exhibitions of fire prevention are held regularly to the public. There are over thousand times of inspection of the fire system of buildings in Tsuen Wan. Regular fire drills, educational talks and fire equipment demonstrations are given to the schools, old age homes, estates and office in Tsuen Wan. Visits to fire station are often organized by the schools and the public.

 
Fire equipment demonstration

Environmental protection
Regular inspections were done by the Environment Protection Department to avoid environment pollution. In particularly, improper discard of chemical wastes by the factories would cause potential risk to the public and offend the law.

Programs aiming at ‘high risk group’
Child abuse and elderly battering
Educational pamphlets of protecting childs and elderly against physical, psychological and sexual abuse are distributed to the public by the Social Welfare Department.

Foreign domestic helper
Employing foreign domestic helper is popular in Hong Kong, however, there is a language and culture barrier of the foreign domestic helpers. In order to ensure safe household work, training in utilization of home electric appliances, techniques on child care, and handling of frail elderly has been organized for them.

Prevention of robbery
Regular inspections by the Police Force are arranged around Chung On Street area where there are lots of Goldsmith and Watch Shops.

Young Night Drifters Project
A joint project of Young Night Drifters is launched by the joint effort of the Police Force and the Social Welfare Department. The project aims to minimize the chance of young night drifters coming under negative influence while drifting on the streets during the mid-night. The young people can be referred to the social worker for counseling if needed.

Surveillance of injuries  

International Commitment
Member of the Safe Community Network, China

Members of the Tsuen Wan Safe and Healthy Community Steering Committee will continue to participate in the activities of the International Network of Safe Communities.
 
Visit by Ms Moa Sundstrom


3rd Asia Regional Conference on Safe
Communities in Taiwan

Publications

• Download the application report:

  - Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, SAR, China - Application to Become a Member of the Safe Community Network

   

Staff:
Tsuen Wan Safe and Healthy Community Steering Committee
Number of staff: 2 full-time, 2 part-time
Professions: Health care professional, social worker
Coordinating office of the committee is supported by: The Yuen Yuen Institute
The Committee is supported by the following member organizations:

• Tsuen Wan District Council
• Tsuen Wan District Office Home Affairs Dept.
• Tsuen Wan Rural Committee
• Occupational Safety & Health Council
• Labour Department
• Hong Kong Police Force
• Independent Commission Against Corruption
• Department of Health
• Princess Margaret Hospital
• Yan Chai Hospital
• Tsuen Wan Adventist Hospital
• Private Doctors in the community
• Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
• Environmental Protection Department
• Leisure & Cultural Services Department
• Social Welfare Dept.
• Education and Manpower Bureau
• The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• The Yuen Yuen Institute—Social Service Department
• Hong Kong SKH Lady MacLehose Centre
• Jockey Club Youth Centre
• Other non-government organizations