Hong Kong authorities halt use of elevating platform at work site after worker death
Labour Department suspends use of such platforms at Victoria Blossom housing project in Kai Tak after worker got trapped between device and wall
Hong Kong labour authorities have suspended the use of elevating platforms at a construction site where a 65-year-old worker died after getting trapped between the device’s railing and a wall.
The Labour Department on Thursday said it was “saddened” by the death and had launched an investigation to identify the cause of the accident that took place at the Victoria Blossom housing project on Shing Fung Lane in Kai Tak on Wednesday afternoon.
A spokesman said the department had issued suspension notices to the contractors to halt the use of elevating work platforms on the site, saying measures to improve safety were needed.
“The contractors cannot resume the work process until the Labour Department is satisfied that suitable measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken,” he said.
The accident occurred as the worker was using the power-operated elevating work platform for plastering work. He was found unconscious at 4.20pm and died half an hour later at United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong.
A colleague, 63, also sustained head injuries and was taken to hospital.