Care for Our Staff
Fully recognising that DSD's advantage is built on our people, we have always prioritised resources to support staff development. We are committed to capacity building as a means to promote career and personal development of staff. At the same time, we also place great emphasis on providing a safe and pleasant working environment, as well as organising a variety of recreational activities at leisure time to bolster work-life balance.
Staff Training and Development 
In 2016-17, we organised a total of 674 training courses for our staff, including induction courses, in-house training, duty visits, overseas conferences, as well as seminars and workshops. Such diverse training is instrumental in enhancing professional skills and knowledge of the DSD team.
During the year, the average number of training hours per capita was 33.4, far exceeding the territory-wide average of 18.3 announced in the 2016 Training and Development Needs Survey published by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management.
Average number of training hours per staff
Induction Courses
We arrange induction courses for new recruits to understand our works and commitment to serving the public. In 2016-17, we held four induction courses for a total of 197 newcomers.
Occupational Safety and Health Training
In 2016-17, we offered two internal auditor training courses for the OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System for a total of 61 participants.
During the year, we organised 14 types of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) training for over 500 colleagues. The details are as follows:
OSH training courses held in 2016-17:
- Construction Safety Supervisor Course
- Electrical Safety
- Training Course for New Operators of Fork-lift Truck
- Revalidation Training Course for Operators of Fork-lift Truck
- Safe Handling of Chemicals
- Manual Lifting and Handling
- Safe use of Mobile Aluminum Towers
Other safety training courses held in 2016-17:
- Confined Space Safety Training Course for Certified Workers Engaged in DSD's Works / Confined Space Safety Training Course for Competent Persons Engaged in DSD's Works
- Mandatory Basic Safety Training Revalidation Course (Construction Work)
[Green Card Training Revalidation Course] / Mandatory Basic Safety Training Course (Construction Work)
[Green Card Training Course] - Safety Training Course for Certified Workers of Confined Spaces Operation / Safety Training Course for Competent Persons of Confined Spaces Operation
- Safety Training Revalidation Course for Certified Workers of Confined Spaces Operation / Safety Training Revalidation Course for Competent Persons of Confined Spaces Operation
Overseas Duty Visits
In addition to local training programmes, we arrange overseas duty visits for colleagues so they can engage in professional exchange with overseas experts. By learning from overseas successful experience and introducing cutting-edge technology, we can optimise DSD's overall service quality.
Duty Visit to Tokyo for Flood Protection Projects
In May 2016, DSD staff members and a consultant representative visited Tokyo to study the city's flooding prevention strategies and gain insight from their experience. During the four-day trip, the delegation visited a number of government institutions and private corporations, including the Bureau of Construction, Tokyo, Bureau of Port and Harbor Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Ministry of Transport Kanto Regional Development Bureau and River offices at various locations. They also made a number of site visits to the major associated facilities like the Outer Underground Discharge Channel, Misato Drainage Pumping Station, Tatsumi Drainage Pumping Station, Kamejima River Water Lock, factory of Ebara Corporation and water park.
DSD delegates toured the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel (flood discharge channel) to understand its function and operation
Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA) International Conference
In May 2016, our colleague went to Rotterdam of the Netherlands to attend the PROVIA International Conference and the C40 Connecting Delta Cities workshop. DSD's representatives exchanged views and experience with representatives from various countries on combating climate change, and learned the latest development on sustainable drainage system.
Representatives from various countries exchanged views and shared experience on combating climate change
Singapore International Water Week 2016 cum Duty Visits
In July 2016, DSD colleagues attended the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 2016 and made duty visits in the city. Held from 10 to 14 July 2016, the biennial SIWW 2016 was a global platform to share and co-create innovative water solutions. The visits and participation in SIWW enabled DSD representatives to share policy implementation and best practices with stakeholders from all over the world, while gaining more knowledge about the latest technologies of the water and wastewater industries in Singapore and other countries.
The delegation visited Changi Water Reclamation Plant
Meeting of Mr. HON Chi-keung (second left), Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr. Edwin TONG Ka-hung (first right), Director of Drainage Services, and Singapore government officials
International Water Association (IWA) World Water Congress and Exhibition 2016 in Brisbane cum Duty Visit
DSD colleagues attended the IWA Congress and Exhibition 2016 held in Brisbane, Australia, from 9 to 14 October 2016. Through the Congress and visits, the DSD delegation not only shared views on policy implementation and practices of water management with experts from all over the world, but also gained deeper insight into the sustainable water management policies and technologies in Australia and other countries. During the Congress, DSD and Water Supplies Department (WSD) announced that Hong Kong will host the IWA-ASPIRE Conference and Exhibition for the first time in 2019.
Group photo of DSD and WSD delegations at the event venue
