Property Management Services Authority’s
​​​​​​​Revised “Handling Scaffolding Works” Code of Conduct to be Gazetted This Month

The Property Management Services Authority (PMSA), in accordance with the revised “Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety” of the Labour Department gazetted last April which will take effect on 19 October this year, has further amended the PMSA “Handling Scaffolding Works” Code of Conduct and relevant Best Practice Guide (Code and Guide) issued in July 2022 and with the first amendment made in July 2023, in order to complement the work of the Labour Department in enhancing the safety of scaffolding work. The newly revised “Handling Scaffolding Work” Code of Conduct will be gazetted this month and take effect on 19 October correspondingly.

The major revision of the Labour Department’s “Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety” includes requiring workmen performing erection, dismantling or alteration of truss-out bamboo scaffolds to hold specific and valid certificate of safety training. In addition to making the corresponding revision, the PMSA has also added clear provisions in the Code and Guide stipulating the duties of owners and licensed property management (PM) companies when carrying out building works involving scaffolds. The revised version was prepared in consultation with PMSA Recognised Professional Bodies, the PM industry, owners’ organisations, the Home Affairs Department, the Labour Department and the Construction Industry Council (CIC), and can be downloaded from the PMSA webpage (https://www.pmsa.org.hk/en/regulatory/codes-of-conduct).

Dr James Wong, Chairperson of the PMSA, said, “Many severe accidents involving bamboo scaffolding work happened in recent years in Hong Kong, with some causing injury or death. The PMSA has all along dedicated itself towards collaborating with various stakeholders to strengthen the PM industry’s safety awareness in carrying out scaffolding work within properties. I earnestly appeal for the industry to pay attention to the latest revisions of the ‘Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety’ and act in accordance with the updated ‘Handling Scaffolding Works’ Code and Guide so as to enhance the safety of scaffolding work in the industry and achieve zero accidents.”

In response to public concern about scaffolding work safety, the PMSA, after organising jointly with the Labour Department in May this year a continuing professional development (CPD) seminar on occupational safety for building renovation and maintenance works for the PM industry, will invite again representatives from the Labour Department and the CIC to explain the latest revisions of the “Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety” at a PMSA CPD webinar in November. Dr James Wong, Chairperson of the PMSA, also featured earlier in CIC’s television promotional video (建「竹」安全你要知) and explained about points-to-note for reference when carrying out scaffolding works within properties, so as to strengthen the public understanding of the revised “Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety”. Watching the video: https://youtu.be/lrm48Jg6oMg?si=hqp4A5f5cVCPMmuc.

Since the implementation of the PM industry licensing regime, the PMSA has already issued a total of 23 Codes of Conduct and relevant Best Practice Guides regarding various PM aspects, including “General Code of Conduct”, “Complaint Handling Mechanism of Property Management Companies”, “Effective Control over Property Management Business by Property Management Companies”, “Handling Moneys Received on behalf of Clients by Property Management Companies”, “Obligations of Property Management Companies regarding the Ending of their Appointment”, “Prevention of Corruption”, “Prescribed Conditions on Licences”, “Protection on Personal Data”, “Handling Payment for or Arranging Payment to be Made by Clients”, “Provision of Prescribed Information and Financial Documents to Clients”, “Carrying out Procurement for Clients and Prevention of Bid-rigging”, “Handling Emergencies”, “Handling Scaffolding Works”, “Handling Suspended Working Platform Works”, “Handling Outsourced Property Management Services”, “Prevention of Corruption – Staff Recruitment and Management”, “Distribution and Display of Promotional Material”, “Tree Management Work”, “Obligations of Property Management Company under the Building Management Ordinance”, “Handling Building Works”, “Handling Instrument of Appointing a Proxy”, “Handling Fire Safety Work” and “Slope Management Work”.

The PMSA will continue to issue other Codes of Conduct and Best Practice Guides timely, covering different PM areas in order to provide guidance to the industry, including but not limited to the following: