Hong Kong considering new work safety codes for manholes after pair killed by toxic gas

Hong Kong could introduce new safety codes requiring contractors to secure advance consent from authorities if they wanted staff to enter manholes when it was not part of their regular work, the development minister said on Sunday.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also said drainage workers would have to undergo additional training for working in confined spaces even though their jobs might not need them to enter manholes.

The push on stricter safety requirements followed an accident in Sha Tin last week where two sewer maintenance workers died after inhaling toxic gas in a manhole.

An initial investigation found they did not have to enter the manhole as work procedures only required them to use high-pressure water jets from outside for cleaning.

Linn said the government would consider adding the new safety requirements to both existing and new contracts for manhole maintenance.

“We may state clearly in the contract that workers are not expected to enter manholes for cleaning up. In case there is a need to enter, the Drainage Services Department must be notified and its approval must be obtained in advance,” she said in a televised interview.

“The training required for those working inside manholes and for those working outside is different. In the future, we plan to require even those who are not supposed to work inside manholes to undergo similar training [to those who enter sewers].”