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機 電 與 我 E&M Safety Newsletter |
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Issue
1 (May 2004) |
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 Editor's
Note
This is the inaugural issue of E&M Safety Newsletter,
a publication designed for the community and aiming
to get you smarter in the safe use of electricity, gas,lifts
and escalators. While it provides you with handy tips
and practical guidelines on E&M safety, it also
highlights some interesting facets of our work and service.
We hope you would find it an informative and interesting
read. And we do encourage you to share it with your
family and loved ones, especially children and the younger
generation.
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| Does
it Bear a GU Mark? |
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Mrs Chan, a very smart housewife with
virtually every household chore kept under control and
in order, always put safety on top of her mind. Recently
she found her cooker was rather 'aged' and worn-out, and
thought of replacing it with a new one. |
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| Mr Chan, a frequent traveller to
mainland China, suggested buying a new cooker on
the mainland, saying that it's cheaper and convenient
too. He added that he didn't need to bring in the
cooker by himself as he could collect it from the
Hong Kong supplier. |
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Mr Chan bought a new cooker the
very next day. But Mrs Chan found that it bore no
GU Mark.
Mrs Chan said, "This cooker bears no GU Mark
and cannot be used in Hong Kong - whether it's bought
locally or outside Hong Kong. I'm really concerned
about its safety standards. Moreover, no gas installers
would install it for you." |
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Do not
buy non-approved gas appliances from outside Hong
Kong for use in the territory.
"What is a GU Mark?"
Mr Chan had been too busy with his business in
mainland China, and didn't notice there was already
in operation a mandatory approval scheme for domestic
gas appliances since last year.
Mrs Chan was more than happy to
explain, "Under the GU Mark scheme that came
into effect in 2003, all domestic gas appliances
for sale and use in Hong Kong must be produced
in accordance with international safety standards
and local requirements, e.g., provision of flame
failure device, and have to be approved by EMSD.
All such approved models will bear a GU Mark for
identification and "GU" means Gas Utilisation."
Safety
Assurance by GU Mark
"This cooker bears no GU Mark.
I do have doubt about its safety and quality.
For safety's sake, you'd better buy me one with
GU Mark," said Mrs Chan.
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| Mr Chan was indeed an understanding
husband. He took his wife to the shop around the
corner right away - to buy a cooker with GU Mark. |
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With the new cooker installed, Mrs Chan was about
to prepare a scrumptious dinner for her family.
But she found the cylinder LPG was almost used up.
Mr Chan said, "There is a new shop across the
street. Let's see if they have any special offers
for cylinder LPG!" |
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Mrs Chan said, "It's good to
buy at a discount. But make sure the shop is an
LPG distributor approved by a registered gas supply
company. An approved distributor not only sells
cylinder LPG, but also keeps computer records of
the installation details of the customers' gas appliances.
They can provide us with regular inspection service,
and remind us of the replacement dates of flexible
gas tubing and cylinder regulator. You can really
have a peace of mind with them."
Mr Chan said, "You are really smart!" |
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| Practical
Tips on Electrical Safety |
World-famous cartoon character
Snoopy has been appointed as our safety ambassador. Publicity
materials printed with Snoopy and other members of the
Peanuts family not only met with overwhelming response
from the public, but also helped raise public awareness
of electrical safety.
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| Guidelines
on the Use and Maintenance of Electrical Appliances |
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As summer is around the corner, you'd better have your
room-coolers and electric fans ready. Here are some
reminders  on
the safe use and maintenance of these appliances.
Room-coolers and Dehumidifiers
- Do not switch on a room-cooler or dehumidifier within
3 minutes after switching it off.
- Avoid obstructing the air inlets and outlets of
the appliance.
Electric Fans and Exhaust Fans
- Allow sufficient space for free movement and heat
dissipation of the appliance.
- The fan guard should not be easily loosened or dismantled
by children, and it should not be too easy for children
to insert fingers into it.
- Check whether the flexible power cord between the
moving and static parts of the fan has been worn out
by prolonged use. A damaged cord may cause danger
from short-circuiting or exposure of live wire cores.
- Place the appliance on a stable surface. Under normal
operation, it should not be too noisy, wobbly or have
signs of overheating (e.g. deformation, discolouration
or charring) or loosening. Stop using it when in doubt
and arrange for repair by experienced technicians.
Tips on general maintenance and repair of electrical
appliances
- Clean the appliance according to the user manual.
Remember to unplug it before cleaning.
- For effective performance and operation of the appliance,
clean it regularly, in particular, room-coolers, electric
fans and exhaust fans, to avoid deposition of dirt
affecting heat dissipation.
- Ensure proper operating conditions (such as temperature
and humidity) for the appliance e.g. allow sufficient
space at the back of a refrigerator for heat dissipation;
avoid placing TV sets or AV products in a humid, dusty
or hot environment, or under direct sunlight.
- Arrange for regular inspection and repair by experienced
technicians.
Tips on buying
Electrical Appliances
 Some
people may consider buying a new room-cooler or fan
to beat the summer heat. You'd better buy from reputable
shops, and the appliance should come with original packaging,
user manual and product warranty.
You should check the appliance - to see if the electric
cord is properly installed and connected; and if it
bears relevant markings to indicate its manufacturer's
name, model, rated voltage, frequency and energy consumption,
and if it is a double insulation device (as applicable).
The rated voltage and frequency of appliances should
be suitable for use in Hong Kong's 220V supply voltage
and 50Hz supply frequency. In general, electrical appliances
should come with a 3-rectangular-pin plug complying
with BS1363 standard or 3-round-pin plug complying with
BS546 standard.
You should check whether the appliance operates smoothly.
Under normal operation, it should not be too wobble,
nor generate too much heat or noise.
As a smart consumer, you should keep the receipt of
your purchase for future reference.
Never
Overload the Socket Outlet
Some people may add an extension unit on top of an
adaptor. It may cause overloading of the socket outlet
and the risk of fire. Avoid using adaptors and extension
units together. Generally, a 13A socket outlet can only
power appliances of up to a maximum of 2400W. Please
check the rated power consumption of the appliance from
the relevant markings.
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| Kiddie
Talk |
 Have
your kids told you about nice young ambassadors visiting
their kindergartens, playing with them and teaching them
safety matters on the use of lifts, escalators, amusement
rides, electrical and gas installations?
Knowing the importance of pre-school education, we
have launched a Safety Ambassador Programme for kindergarten
kids. To date, our young ambassadors have paid visits
to hundreds of kindergartens throughout the territory,
promoting E&M safety messages in a lively fashion
through story telling, games and demonstrations.
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| What
a Lift Journey! |
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It seemed Ka-chun, a restless eight-year-old
boy, could never settle down. He was going out to
play basketball with his schoolmates on a Sunday.
When he was taking the lift, he tried to test out
his jump-shooting skills inside the lift car. |
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When his father was about to stop
him, Ka-chun already had the ball shot to the ceiling
of the lift car. It stopped all of a sudden... |
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Ka-chun was so scared that he just
kept banging the door and tried to open it. His
father calmed him down and pressed the alarm for
help. |
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According to the position indicator
in the lift car, they were trapped at 20/F. But
shortly afterwards, it showed the car had got down
to G/F. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. |
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Ka-chun had much regret and promised
his father that he would never play inside a lift
again. |
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Expert says...
Why did the lift car stop abruptly?
When Ka-chun was playing in the lift car, the induced
vibration might have activated the safety devices. As
a result the normal operation of the lift was interrupted
and the lift stopped.
Did the lift car descend 'rapidly' to G/F?
The disturbance might make the lift unable to detect
its position. In other words, the displayed position
on the indicator did not correctly show the actual position
of the lift car. In order to identify its position,
the control of the lift caused the lift to travel downwards
at low speed to the terminal floor, i.e., G/F, where
its indicator was then reset and corrected. As the lift
car was descending slowly, passengers did not notice
the movement (especially when the position indicator
did not show the changing car position during the descent)
until it reached G/F.
In fact, all lifts are equipped with an overspeed governor
and safety gears. In case of excessive speed, the overspeed
governor will be tripped. It will cut off the power
supply and bring the lift to a halt with the mechanical
brake. For downward travel at excessive speed, the overspeed
governor will activate the safety gears to stop the
lift car by clamping it on the guide rails.
Fortunate that it's a minor fault only
It was fortunate that it turned out to be a minor fault
when the basketball was shot to the ceiling of the lift
car. The operation was only slightly affected and the
lift car was able to travel slowly down to its reset
position. It should be noted that playing or jumping
inside the lift might affect the normal operation of
the lift car. It would activate its safety devices and
trap the passengers in the lift.
Don't panic when trapped
In case you are trapped inside a lift, you should keep
calm, press the alarm to alert the caretaker and wait
for rescue. Do not try to open the lift door yourself
as this is very dangerous.
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| Why
should I hold the handrail when taking the escalator? |
 Some
people like to walk or even run on the escalator. It is
indeed very dangerous. Not only do they affect other passengers
on the escalator, they would also easily lose their balance
and trip over. In case the escalator stops for emergency,
those walking on the escalator are likely to tumble and
bump onto other passengers, causing serious injuries.
If you are carrying a large luggage or stroller, do not
use the escalator - take the lift instead.
80% of the escalator incidents last year involved passengers
losing balance and tripping over, including those who
carried large luggage and strollers. Passengers should
always hold the handrail when using the escalator. Do
not walk on it and do not stand close to the side edge
of the escalator step.
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| The
Lift Owners' Guidebook |
The Lift Owners' Guidebook was published
to facilitate the lift owners to have a more comprehensive
understanding of the issues in respect of the lift
daily operation, the legislative requirements on
lifts and the handling of emergency situation so
as to enhance the safe operation of lifts. The English
version of the guidebook is available in our website
at http://www.emsd.gov.hk/emsd/eng/pps/le_pub.shtml.
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| Children's
Corner |
| Spot the faults - There are
certainly some 'traps' in this home. Can you help spot
them out? |
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| E&M
Safety Quiz |
1. Which of the following
is a safe way of using lifts?
a. Stand close to the lift door
b. Do not use the lift in case of fire
c. When trapped in a lift, pull the door with hand to
open it for escape
d. Jump inside the lift car to lessen its loading when
it's moving up
2. Which of the following is a safe way of using
escalators?
a. Walk on the left side
b. Walk on the right side
c. Stand on the escalator step and hold handrail
d. Sit on the escalator step
3. Which of the following is a safe practice for
maintenance of electrical appliances?
a. Do not follow the user manual when cleaning the appliance
b. Keep the appliance 'plugged' when cleaning it
c. Arrange for regular inspection and repair by experienced
technicians.
d. Operating conditions of the appliance may differ
from those suggested in the
user manual
4. What mark does a domestic gas appliance approved
by EMSD bear?
a. GA Mark
b. GS Mark
c. GU Mark
d. GT Mark
5. Who can connect a gas water heater to the gas
supply pipe at your home?
a. Any person
b. Licensed plumber
c. Decorator
d. Registered gas installer
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| Please fill in the Reply
Slip with your answers and send by mail or by fax
to: The Editor, E&M Safety Newsletter (Please see
the bottom of this page for contact information). A little
souvenir will be given to the first 500 people who submit
correct answers to all five questions. |
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| Feedback |
| Your comments and suggestions
are most welcome. Whether it's on editorial style
or contents, tell us how we can improve and make
the E&M Safety Newsletter a truly informative
and interesting read for you. Please contact us
should you need a printed copy. |
The Editor, E&M
Safety Newsletter
Electrical and Mechanical Services Department
3 Kai Shing Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong |
Tel : (852) 1823
Fax : (852) 2890 7493
Email : info@emsd.gov.hk |
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