THE accident rate in the construction industry in Hong Kong was not only high, but ''shamefully high'', the Secretary for Works, James Blake, said. But he said the rate at the new airport projects was low, even though four workers were killed last month in separate accidents at Chek Lap Kok. He said last month was a ''bad month'' for the construction industry but the trend of accidents at airport projects was ''good and downward''. Speaking after a building site safety seminar organised by the Hong Kong Construction Association, Mr Blake said investigations into the accidents were continuing and it was too early to say whether the contractors had breached safety regulations. He said contractors who broke regulations would be taken to court. Last year 80 workers were killed in the construction industry.
