ORCID Profile
0000-0002-4519-9397
Current Organisation
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 04-2014
Abstract: – Thie purpose of this paper is to present the critical success factors (CSFs) for engaging in the building maintenance business in Hong Kong where maintenance is a major market sector. – In this study, CSFs are identified for the business of building maintenance based on data collected from a questionnaire survey and interviews. – A total of 12 CSFs are identified, such as client's satisfaction, certification of company, reliability of service, quality of service, and company reputation, and most are related to two principal factors, namely maintenance service and organization, and project management. – This paper provides a review of building maintenance in Hong Kong and identifies a list of success factors for the business of building maintenance. The identified CSFs and principal factors provide useful reference for maintenance contractors to have a clear understanding of the expectations of the building maintenance market in Hong Kong.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 05-2013
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Date: 07-2012
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 17-02-2012
DOI: 10.1108/14725961211200405
Abstract: Heat stress, having caused preventable and lamentable deaths, is hazardous to construction workers in the hot and humid summers of Hong Kong. The purpose of this paper is to develop a heat stress model, based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index. Field studies were conducted during the summer time in Hong Kong (July to September 2010). Based upon 281 sets of synchronized meteorological and physiological data collected from construction workers in four different construction sites between July and September 2010, physiological, work‐related, environmental and personal parameters were measured to construct and verify the heat stress model. It is found that drinking habit, age and work duration are the top three significant predictors to determine construction workers' physiological responses. Other predictors include percentage of body fat, resting heart rate, air pollution index, WBGT, smoking habit, energy consumption, and respiratory exchange rate. The accuracy of the model is verified against data which have not been used in developing the model. The accuracy of the heat stress model is found to be statistically acceptable (Mean Absolute Percentage Error=5.6 percent, Theil's U inequality coefficients=0.003). Based on these findings, appropriate work‐rest pattern can be designed to safeguard the well being of workers when working in a hot and humid environment. The model reported in this paper provides a more scientific and reliable prediction of the reality which may benefit the industry to produce solid guidelines for working in hot weather.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2013
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 10-07-2009
DOI: 10.1108/17260530910974952
Abstract: Falls continue to be the major cause of fatalities in the Hong Kong construction industry, as well as in other countries. Published statistics of the Labour Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) showed that from 2000 to 2004 approximately half of the fatal construction accidents were a result of fall of person from height. In view of this phenomenon, the purpose of this paper is to present the findings and recommendations of a research paper which investigates the problems associated with fall of person from height in the construction industry. Accident data obtained from the Architectural Services Department, HKSAR, was analysed according to the 14 available factors collectively to derive explanations for common situations and reasons leading to fall accidents. The findings of this rigorous analysis are presented to practitioners whose feedback on the findings are recorded by means of a questionnaire survey. The responses from the survey show that “re‐enforced safety training” and “equipments for working at height” are the adoptable methods to enhance the workers' safety performance. The paper shows that “poor safety attitude and behaviour of workers” is the main problem in obstructing the implementation of safety procedures and guidelines for construction sites. In addition, over half the respondents agree that “closer monitoring and supervision” and “higher standard of projects” is observed by public projects when compared to private projects. The statistics analysed in this paper are limited to public sector projects only. However, the findings are still believed to be valuable for safety practitioners so that they can adopt the necessary measures to prevent fall from height accidents occurring in future projects.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 05-2019
DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001837
Abstract: Chan, APC, Yang, Y, Wong, FKW, Yam, MCH, Wong, DP, and Song, W-F. Reduction of physiological strain under a hot and humid environment by a hybrid cooling vest. J Strength Cond Res 33(5): 1429–1436, 2019—Cooling treatment is regarded as one of good practices to provide safe training conditions to athletic trainers in the hot environment. The present study aimed to investigate whether wearing a commercial lightweight and portable hybrid cooling vest that combines air ventilation fans with frozen gel packs was an effective means to reduce participants' body heat strain. In this within-subject repeated measures study, 10 male volunteers participated in 2 heat-stress trials (one with the cooling vest—COOL condition, and another without—CON condition, in a randomized order) inside a climatic chamber with a controlled ambient temperature 33° C and relative humidity (RH) 75% on an experimental day. Each trial included a progressively incremental running test, followed by a 40-minute postexercise recovery. Core temperature (T c ), heart rate (HR), sweat rate (SR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), exercise duration, running distance, and power output were measured. When comparing the 2 conditions, a nonstatistically significant moderate cooling effect in rate of increase in T c (0.03 ± 0.02° C·min −1 for COOL vs. 0.04 ± 0.02° C·min −1 for CON, p = 0.054, d = 0.57), HR (3 ± 1 b·min –1 ·min −1 for COOL vs. 4 ± 1 b·min –1 ·min −1 for CON, p = 0.229, d = 0.40), and physiological strain index (PSI) (0.20 ± 0.06 unit·min −1 for COOL vs. 0.23 ± 0.06 unit·min −1 for CON, p = 0.072, d = 0.50) was found in the COOL condition during exercise. A nonstatistically significant ( p 0.05) trivial cooling effect ( d 0.2) was observed between the COOL and CON conditions for measures of exercise duration, running distance, power output, SR, and RPE. It is concluded that the use of the hybrid cooling vest achieved a moderate cooling effect in lowering the rate of increase in physiological strain without impeding the performance of progressively incremental exercise in the heat.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 29-07-2017
Abstract: Construction workers are subjected to heat stress because of the hot environment, physically demanding tasks, and/or personal protective equipment. A tailor-made cooling vest that protects construction workers from heat-related injuries was developed. The purpose of the study is to examine a newly designed cooling vest's effectiveness in alleviating physiological and perceptual strain in a hot and humid environment. Twelve male participants performed two trials, i.e., cooling vest (VEST) and control (CON) in a climatic chamber controlled at 37°C temperature, 60% relative humidity, 0.3 m/s air velocity, and 450 W/m2 solar radiation to simulate the summer working environment of construction sites. Two bouts of treadmill exercise intermitted with 30-minute passive recovery were designed to simulate the practical work-rest schedule of the construction industry. The cooling vest was used during the passive recovery period in the VEST condition, and the results were compared with that of no cooling vest in the CON condition. The results revealed that the newly designed cooling vest can significantly alleviate heat strain and improve thermal comfort, based on the decrease in body temperature, heart rate, and subjective perceptions (including perceived exertion, thermal, wetness, and comfort sensation) of the participants. It can also prolong work duration in the subsequent exercise. The cooling countermeasures proposed in this study will be able to provide an effective solution in situations that involve repeated bouts of outdoor construction work.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 29-06-2015
Abstract: Properly selected fabrics and smartly designed uniform are essential to improve thermal and moisture performance of summer clothes. As compared to a commercial uniform (CON) that was commonly worn by construction workers, a newly designed work uniform (NEW) consists of a smartly designed short-sleeved shirt with superior air permeability and a pair of full-length pants with excellent overall moisture management capacity. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of NEW on combating body physiological and perceptual strain through conducting human wear trials in the laboratory experiment. Twelve participants took part in two trials (one with wearing NEW and another with wearing CON) on two experimental days. Each trial included a rest–intermittent running–recovery cycle inside a climatic chamber controlled at 34.5℃ and 75% relative humidity. The major findings manifested that the mean skin temperature ([Formula: see text]) of participants with NEW was significantly lower than that with CON toward a high running speed (8.5 km/h, 4% slope). During passive recovery, thermo-physiological strain (intestinal temperature ( T in ), [Formula: see text], and mean body temperature [Formula: see text]) of participants with NEW was significantly lower than that with CON. The perceptual strain of participants with NEW was significantly alleviated during exercise and post-exercise recovery periods as the participants felt cooler, drier, and more comfortable than those with CON. It was concluded that the newly designed work uniform is effective in alleviating thermo-physiological and perceptual strain during intermittent exercise and post-exercise recovery in hot and humid environment.
No related grants have been discovered for Michael C H Yam.