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Letters | Hong Kong has no room for negligence in ensuring safety on construction sites
- Readers discuss safety practices on construction sites, the mental health of Hong Kong youth and reaching out to one’s neighbours
Reading Time:4 minutes
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Since 2000, the HK 5-S Association (HK5SA) has partnered with the Hong Kong government in promoting the 5-S practice which we developed and which was endorsed by SGS, one of the world’s largest certification bodies.
Since the Housing Society implemented the 5-S practice requirement in the Hong Kong construction industry in 2001, accidents in the industry decreased from more than 9,000 to around 3,000 within six years.
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In view of the tower crane accident last week, I would like to raise the question of whether the contractor implemented the 5-S practice as required by Specification 17.25 of the Housing Society building tender.
The 5-S practice is focused on construction safety in particular. Examples include dealing with defects, leakage, breakage and their causes; preventing noise, vibration and hazards; exercising safety policy and risk assessment; and fool-proofing.
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Despite the easiness and effectiveness of the 5-S practice in ensuring construction safety, some contractors might ignore it to save a few bucks at the cost of human lives. Moreover, there is no excuse for violating the contractual requirement.
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