Chapter 2 - PROFILE OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Our Services
We deliver our services through the Centre for Food Safety, the Environmental Hygiene Branch, the Administration and Development Branch and the Private Columbaria Affairs Office (organisation chart as below). The following paragraphs give an overview of our major operations, some of which may have an impact on the environment.
Food Safety
We monitor the safety of imported and locally produced food to ensure that food available for human consumption is wholesome, unadulterated and properly labelled. We also aim to safeguard public health through testing and control of imported live food animals; and to advise the public on risk management measures in relation to food and public health matters. Our major areas of work in regard to food safety control include food surveillance and control; and risk assessment and communication.
Food Surveillance and Control
To ensure safety of food supply in Hong Kong, we undertake continuous monitoring, testing and enforcement action. Food samples are taken at import, wholesale and retail points for chemical, microbiological and radioactivity tests to ascertain their fitness for human consumption. Pre-packaged food is also checked for compliance with food labelling laws.
Risk Assessment and Communication
Under the risk analysis model for food safety control, we conduct risk assessment on food hazards and recommend food standards. On risk communication, we emphasise the importance of tripartite collaboration among the Government, food trade and consumers in ensuring food safety. We promote food safety messages to the food trade and public through various channels. We also promote the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles to the food trade, in particular the high risk sectors, to enhance food safety.
Business Process Re-engineering and Overhaul of Information Technology Systems
To enhance food safety control, we conduct workflow reviews, formulate long term strategies for information technology-enabled business transformation and map out strategic proposals on re-engineering business processes, operational procedures and information management, with a view to developing computerised systems that can better support data analysis and risk profiling.
Environmental Hygiene Services
We strive to provide and maintain a clean and hygienic living environment for the people of Hong Kong. Major environmental hygiene services that have direct environmental impact include public cleansing services, licensing and control of food businesses, provision and management of environmental hygiene and related facilities, public market management, hawker management, cremation and green burial services, and pest control operational services.
Public Cleansing Services
We are committed to keeping public places clean, tidy and free from litter. Public cleansing services range from street sweeping and washing, collection of household waste and street waste, gully cleansing, desludging of septic tanks, to managing public cleansing facilities like refuse collection points (RCPs), public toilets and bathhouses. The Department and its cleansing contractors deploy a total workforce of about 11 800 to provide these cleansing services.
We provide some 13 600 litter containers, 450 dog latrines and 1 900 dog excreta collection bins throughout Hong Kong. There are some 3 000 RCPs in Hong Kong for the temporary storage of street waste and household waste pending collection. Waste is collected at least once a day at these RCPs and some 5 920 tonnes of household waste are collected daily by refuse collection vehicles managed either by ourselves or our contractors.
Licensing and Control of Food Businesses
We license food businesses to safeguard public health and safety and conduct regular inspection to ensure hygiene standards of licensed food premises are met. We also take law enforcement actions, such as prosecutions, imposition of court orders, daily fines and suspension or cancellation of licences, against unhygienic premises.
Provision and Management of Environmental Hygiene and Related Facilities
We are responsible for the management of a wide variety of environmental hygiene and related facilities. In 2018, we managed 799 public toilets, 27 public bathhouses, 10 public cemeteries, 6 crematoria, 8 columbaria and 11 gardens of remembrance.
Public Market Management
We are vested with the responsibility of properly managing public markets and keeping them neat and tidy. In 2018, we managed 99 public markets. Among them, 39 comprised both a wet market and a cooked food centre and 25 were free standing cooked food markets, with around 14 100 stalls selling foodstuffs and a wide range of clothing and daily necessities.
Hawker Management
On-street hawking is an economic activity with a long history. Through licensing and law enforcement, we aim to minimise the environmental nuisance caused by hawking activities.
Cremation and Green Burial Services
We manage 6 crematoria for the provision of cremation services to the public, and also promote green burial, viz. scattering of cremated human ashes at sea or at gardens of remembrance, as a more sustainable form of ash disposal.
Pest Control Services
We are responsible for providing pest control services in public places, such as control and prevention of rodents, mosquitoes and other arthropod pests with medical importance.
Administration and Development Services
Planning of Capital and Minor Works Projects
We are responsible for the planning of new capital works projects and minor improvement works to existing departmental facilities relating to markets, RCPs, public toilets, crematoria and columbaria. We will continue to do our best in reducing the environmental impact during the construction and operational phases of these projects, and in including environmentally friendly facilities as far as possible.
Public Education and Publicity
Public awareness of maintaining a clean and hygienic environment is enhanced through our public education in an integrated approach. We run a Health Education Exhibition and Resource Centre at Tsim Sha Tsui to organise publicity and educational programmes for the community. We also disseminate environmental hygiene messages through different channels and various campaigns.
Pest Control Advisory Services
We give advice on pest control and prevention to government departments and the general public. Our work includes surveillance and monitoring of pest problems to prevent local transmission and investigation of vector-borne diseases.
Internal Administration Support
We maintain a departmental fleet of some 690 vehicles to provide support services, of which about 200 are specialised vehicles, such as Refuse Collection Vehicles and Street Washing Vehicles.
Public Market Development and Revitalisation
We study the need and feasibility of providing new public markets in the territories based on a holistic consideration of all relevant factors and develop such facilities at suitable locations. We also review the hardware and management of existing public markets, implement the Market Modernisation Programme and develop new management measures, with a view to providing the public with better municipal facilities and services.
Regulation of Private Columbaria
Implementing the Licensing Regime of Private Columbaria
We provide executive support to the Private Columbaria Licensing Board. In processing applications for licence or exemption from private columbaria, we seek advice of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) on matters relating to environmental protection for the reference of the Licensing Board.
Our Impact on the Environment
Operations and Services | Environmental Impact |
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Provision of public cleansing services |
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Licensing and control of food businesses |
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Provision and management of environmental hygiene and related facilities |
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Cremation services |
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Green burial |
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Pest control |
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Planning of capital and minor works projects |
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Public education and publicity |
|
Departmental vehicles |
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Green housekeeping |
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Regulation of private columbaria |
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