Hong Kong builders issue smoking ban blueprint ahead of Friday adoption
Guidelines call for companies to clearly state prohibited items, construction area covered by ban and any additional penalties for violations
Hong Kong’s construction sector has rolled out a unified blueprint to enforce a strict, site-wide smoking ban taking effect on Friday, a major safety overhaul triggered by the deadly Tai Po fire last year.
The guidelines, released by the Hong Kong Construction Association along with eight other industry groups on Thursday, are aimed at creating a unified and clear framework to ensure that different types of work abide by the same set of principles under the new smoking ban at sites.
“The release of the guidelines marks the industry’s commitment to turning the smoking ban at construction sites into a concrete implementation,” said Simon Liu Sing-pang, president of the association.
Under the legal amendments, anyone caught smoking at a construction site faces a fixed penalty of HK$3,000 (US$383) for individual breaches, while contractors face a fine of up to HK$400,000 if they fail to ensure their sites are smoke-free.
The guidelines call for establishing policies that clearly state lighters and smoking products requiring ignition are not allowed on sites, define the area covered by the ban and specify additional penalties for violations such as demerit points, with the details displayed on-site.