The Force and MPS have been working closely over the years in occupational safety and health. In the early stages of the Force Occupational Safety and Health Project in 2001, Senior Inspector Paul Haley visited MPS to learn and report on MPS systems and its approach to safety and health.

As a result of this visit, Mr Nick Kettle, Team Leader, and Mr Gary Wright, Senior Safety Advisor of the Health and Safety Branch of MPS, spent five days with the Force last month, learning how the Force has progressed and if possible benchmarking health and safety management systems, as well as sharing best practices with various Force experts.

Both Mr Kettle and Mr Wright are employed by MPS as full time experts and advisors. Their visit commenced with a courtesy call on Director of Management Services Mike Dowie and Assistant Commissioner (Support) Blaine Hoggard, and continued through the week with exchanges on respective organisational and OSH structures; introduction to Force training and policy; MPS' experience of the management of occupational health; Force preparation for an influenza pandemic and lessons learnt from SARS, and MPS' inspection and audit systems.

The visitors also took part in site visits to the Police College, the Small Boat Division, and the Police Tactical Unit Headquarters for the public order experience learnt from the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference.

Upon conclusion of their visit, both MPS officers expressed their admiration of the progress made by the Force, which, they acknowledged, exceeded MPS experience in some areas.

Superintendent (OSH SUP) Rod Mason described the visit as useful, constructive and extremely positive, noting that there were considerable similarities between the issues faced by the Force and MPS.

DMS Mike Dowie (right) meeting Mr Kettle