9 tickets, 110 warnings issued after construction site smoking ban takes effect
Authorities have inspected over 200 construction sites since the ban began on Friday last week, labour commissioner says
Hong Kong authorities have issued nine fixed-penalty tickets and 110 warnings to contractors since launching a citywide construction site smoking ban last Friday, according to the labour commissioner.
Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum said on Monday that authorities had inspected more than 200 construction sites since the ban took effect, adding that officers would issue improvement notices, as well as written and verbal warnings, to contractors who fell short in enforcing the ban.
“The industry’s practical guidelines are useful, but having those measures in place does not exempt contractors from responsibility. They must be able to implement them effectively and with impact,” Hui said.
The ban was introduced following a devastating fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po last November, which killed 168 people and was likely to have been sparked by workers smoking during renovations.
Under the amended law, anyone caught smoking on a construction site faces a fixed penalty of HK$3,000 (US$380), while contractors can be fined up to HK$400,000 if they fail to ensure their sites are smoke-free.
So far, authorities had issued nine fixed-penalty tickets to workers, along with 110 warnings and four improvement notices to contractors, Hui said.
He added that officers might issue verbal or written warnings where a contractor’s anti-smoking measures were poorly implemented, and improvement notices where arrangements required more systematic changes.