Govt orders scaffolding nets removal for all building undergoing maintenance amid false documentation concerns

The government on Wednesday ordered that all buildings undergoing major external maintenance must remove protective scaffolding nets within three days, after investigations revealed suspicions of false documentation related to the safety and compliance of scaffolding nets at two housing estates.

The estates involved are Fung Wah Estate in Chai Wan and Fortress Garden in North Point. 

The government's order applies to a dozen public buildings and over 200 private buildings currently undergoing major external wall maintenance, and the removal work should be done no later than Saturday (Dec 6).

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said the Buildings Department plans to issue updated codes of practice next week, which will stipulate that all protective net materials must be sampled on-site upon delivery to construction sites. 

Installation of the nets will only be permitted after they have been tested and verified by a designated laboratory.

This came after teams from the two estates were accused of using fraudulent documents in a bid to prove the nets have met the required standards for strength and flame resistance.

The National Quality Inspection and Testing Center for Personal Protective Equipment in Beijing, which was allegedly cited in the documents, denied ever issuing the related reports. 

Employees at the Center stated that the institution had undergone a name change in 2019, and confirmed that the report number and title were invalid.

"We have not issued any report with this number in 2025," the employee confirmed.

Discrepancies were also found when comparing the questioned reports against legitimate certificates. The Center noted that the questionable documents lacked official logos, had incorrect company names, and displayed formatting errors. They advised the public to directly contact the Center to verify any dubious certificates.

In light of these allegations, staff at Fung Wah Estate declined to comment, citing the absence of a responsible representative. 

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung confirmed that the cases have been referred to the police for investigation.