Hong Kong authorities are expediting updates to safety guidelines for elevated work platforms following the deaths of three workers in construction accidents. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun has vowed swift action and a large-scale inspection campaign. The incidents highlight ongoing concerns over work-at-height safety.
Hong Kong authorities announced on Saturday that they will expedite updates to safety guidelines for elevated work platforms and launch a large-scale inspection campaign after three workers died in accidents involving work at height or lifting devices. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han expressed grave concern over the string of industrial fatalities during a radio programme, vowing that the government would take follow-up action.
“We will expedite updates for the guidelines for elevated work platforms, such as highlighting how sensing devices and anti-collision technology could offer workers better protection,” Sun said. He expected the new guidelines to enhance the safety of such platforms. Authorities will also initiate a large-scale enforcement operation in the coming days to raise public awareness of safety, though details were not provided.
Two workers were killed and three others injured in two separate construction site accidents on Wednesday that involved working at height. Investigations have been launched into the incidents. A 65-year-old male worker died after being trapped between a lifting platform’s railing and a wall at the Victoria Blossom housing project site on Shing Fung Lane in Kai Tak. Other incidents occurred in Tsuen Wan and on Po Fung Road, involving lifting operations.
These events underscore the urgency of tightening safety regulations in Hong Kong's construction industry, with Sun emphasizing the government's commitment to preventing further tragedies.
