3 Hong Kong workers die in ‘darkest day’ for construction industry

Three Hong Kong workers died in separate industrial accidents on Saturday in what a concern group said was “the darkest day” for the construction sector. The spate of incidents prompted a lawmaker to urge authorities to ensure employers were aware of recent changes to occupational health and safety legislation, such as heftier fines for serious violations. A 40-year-old man demolishing a village house at Tin Liu Tsuen in Yuen Long died after a wall collapsed on him at about 4pm. The man was dug out of the rubble by firefighters and rushed to Pok Oi Hospital, but he was certified dead at around 5pm. Police officers examined the scene, which was littered with bricks and debris, in a bid to find the cause of the incident. A 34-year-old man died after an accident just half an hour earlier at a construction site at Sky City Road East near Hong Kong International Airport. The man, who is suspected to have suffered an electric shock as he worked on a suspended ceiling, was later certified dead at North Lantau Hospital. And a 54-year-old man employed on a redevelopment site at Yuen Fat Wharf & Godown in Cheung Sha Wan fainted on a staircase at about 8am, but had no apparent injuries. He was taken to the Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, and certified dead soon after arrival. The Labour Department said it was investigating the two accidents in Chek Lap Kok and Yuen Long. Hong Kong construction worker dies in forklift hit at government site A previous wave of fatal industrial accidents led to authorities increasing the maximum penalties for such incidents under the Occupational Safety and Occupational Health Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill in April. The most serious violations are punishable by up to two years in jail and a maximum fine of HK$10 million (US$1.27 million). The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims said on social media that it was “the darkest day of the construction industry”. The organisation said it had contacted a sister of the 40-year-old man killed by the wall collapse, but was still trying to reach family members of the other two victims as of Saturday evening. Fay Siu Sin-man, the association’s chief executive, said incidents like those on Saturday were not uncommon and reflected a lack of vigilance among the construction industry when it came to workers’ safety, despite past accidents. Worker, 64, dies after falling into mixing machine at candy factory in Hong Kong She warned that employers should make sure all circuits at construction sites were disconnected and put up caution signs to prevent electric shocks, and said the wall collapse could have resulted from unsteady temporary framework structures. “We really want to improve the situation, but incidents like this keep appearing from time to time,” Siu said. “Problems with oversight and work arrangements, low safety awareness and misjudging risks can all lead to an industrial accident.” Lawmaker Bill Tang Ka-piu of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions said employers may not be aware of changes to health and safety legislation earlier this year, urging authorities to ramp up education and oversight efforts. “Recently a few employers were asked by the court to only pay tens of thousands of dollars for fatal accidents because the new penalties had not yet come into effect when the accidents happened,” he said. “These rulings might have sent the wrong message and could mean employers are less aware of occupational safety and the consequences they need to bear for industrial accidents.” The lawmaker did not elaborate on which cases he was referring to. Hong Kong construction worker killed by falling debris at renovation site The Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Monday ordered two construction companies to pay fines of HK$50,000 and HK$59,000, respectively, after a worker was killed by a falling concrete slab while carrying out demolition work at a development site in North Point in 2021. The West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts last Thursday instructed a candy factory to pay a HK$38,000 fine over the death of a 64-year-old woman who fell into a mixing machine in January. Tang on Saturday also said authorities should step up monitoring of occupational safety at construction sites, especially those involving government projects. Discussing the accident at the site on Sky City Road East, the lawmaker said the Airport Authority Hong Kong should have been keeping tabs on safety management and enhancing inspections. “Were workers given all the necessary protective gear? Were they given too much work and had to rush?” he said. “It’s important for employers, whether they are the government, public corporations or the private sector, to conduct a thorough review and find out what went wrong.”