A deadly blaze in Tai Po prompted the removal of protective mesh from around 420 buildings under renovation in Hong Kong. The Construction Industry Council plans to procure 50,000 scaffolding nets, with the first batch of 12,000 ready by January 15. Executive director Albert Cheng Ting-ning stressed that the higher cost ensures safety under new regulations.
The deadly Tai Po blaze triggered a government order to remove protective mesh from buildings undergoing major renovations across Hong Kong, affecting around 420 sites. This led construction firms to halt projects pending compliant materials under a new regulatory regime.
The Construction Industry Council (CIC) is acting as an interim central procurement body to source and test scaffolding nets. It plans to acquire 50,000 nets at HK$170 (US$21.80) each, a higher price than before. Executive director Albert Cheng Ting-ning said on Wednesday that the first batch of 12,000 would be ready by January 15, with all nets hoped to arrive within a month.
Cheng explained the increase covers laboratory tests mandated by the new regime and a tag system to trace materials from origin. “These nets have undergone many rounds of tests. The price is a little higher, but this is to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property. I don’t think prices should be compared with safety,” he said. “We hope all the nets can arrive within a month.”
Priority will go to buildings nearing completion of renovations. The effort aims to allow firms to resume work swiftly while upholding enhanced safety. Keywords include mainland China, Guangdong province, renovation, scaffolding nets, Hong Kong, Construction Industry Council, Tai Po blaze, laboratory tests, and Wang Fuk Court.
