Construction Colleagues!! Need help, please advice.

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong
    Posts
    9

    Exclamation Construction Colleagues!! Need help, please advice.

    Hi everyone!

    I just wanted to ask your advice regarding my current situation. I realized that a lot of people here in G-xpat are ready to help which was pretty surprising considering that HK is a busy city. My story is a bit long but please bear with me.

    I am a non-local Hong Kong resident who has a bachelor's degree in medical technology (BSMT) and diploma in special education (DSpEd) under my belt. I came back to HK last 2007 after studying college to live and work. Prior to my return, I experienced working in hospital laboratories and teaching special children in special education schools. During that time, I realized that I was downhearted in both jobs and started to reflect if I had taken the wrong path.

    When I was young, my kin wanted me to be a doctor so I, being a good and obedient child, followed their advice since I also didn't know what to really pursue. During college, many of my friends ask me why I didn't take law/engineering/accountancy/computer programming since I have outstanding analytical skills and was very good at numbers which is basically useless in the medical field. I simply laughed about it and told them that my relatives wanted a doctor in the family. Despite all this, I finished my studies and went through college without any problem. I acquired a working license and was even awarded for being a top-notch examinee by the medical technology board.

    After all my experience, I realized that it was not my calling. I came back to HK to find work & tried a lot of dead-end jobs until I finally landed a position in a construction company in Macau. I worked there for more than a year but due to the economic crisis, the project was temporarily suspended. While I was working there, I was happy and I just loved everything about it. Something that I didn't really feel at my previous jobs.

    I have decided to pursue a career in this field. I researched on how my educational background can be of use in the construction industry. Then a friend of mine suggested that I should be a safety officer, given my medical background. He said I just needed to get a postgraduate diploma in occupational health & safety. Is that correct?? I have no idea. If you have some information regarding anything related, please do share it with me.

    I know some of you may have negative comments but I don't mind. That is why I am humbly asking for your advice. Please tell me what you think. Would this be the right path for me? I am hoping that someone can point me to the right direction.

    Thank you in advance for your input.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Mid Levels
    Posts
    113

    Check out below.

    http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/osh/pdf/erso_procedure.pdf

    www.lighthouseclub.org/

    I work for a construction company and have seen a variety of safety officers (some very good, constructive and have interest of employers/labour at heart), some are anal and only want to tick forms.

    I think that over next few years with the construction work in HK coming up this may be a reasonable option and with about 3/4 year experience and if you are good (you may also need to get some basic Canto) you could get 100k/mth or so with one of the big MC's who are first tier on a Govt contract.

    MC's have an interest to have safe practise as they can get suspended from Govt tenders if too many accidents (they sometimes manage this by gently persuading sub-contractors to not report accidents by putting excessive administration back charges into contracts for each accident reported). You will see a lot of improved safety stats in HK over last 10 years and if you ask at sites a lot of unreported accidents !

    As safety officer you will be in middle of this as yoru boss will not want you reporting but you have obligation to report...

    Not sure if medical bacground if real necessary, more attention to risk and getting people to buy into safety is more important (ie getting Mr Macho to wear his safety harness AND connectr it to soemthing solid !)

    Good luck


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong
    Posts
    9

    Dear Paulmears,

    Thank you very much for your post. I didn't expect that somebody would actually reply that quick. I will check the sites that you have shared and hopefully find my way from there. ^_^

    Thanks my friend.
    Cheers!