Govt proposes smoking ban at all construction sites

The government submitted three legislative amendments to the Legislative Council on Tuesday to prohibit smoking at all construction sites, aiming to reduce fire risks and improve the safety of construction workers and the public.

The legislative amendments proposed clear legal obligations on principal contractors, subcontractors, and any other persons to ban smoking in all construction sites. The government will gazette the Amendment Order and the Amendment Notice on May 22.

The Amendment Order will designate all types of construction sites as no-smoking areas, including building maintenance sites, except domestic premises and private quarters occupied by their residents for residential purposes.

The Amendment Notice will specify that Occupational Safety Officers (OSOs) of the Labour Department may enforce all duties related to smoking offenses at construction sites under the Fixed Penalty (Smoking Offences) Ordinance. OSOs may issue a fixed penalty notice to offenders, with a fixed fine of HK$3,000.

Meanwhile, the Amendment Regulation requires contractors and subcontractors to take all reasonable steps to ensure that no one smokes, carries a lighted specified smoking product, or uses a naked flame to light a specified smoking product on a construction site. The violation may result in a fine of up to HK$400,000.

The government said it will spare no effort to facilitate the Legislative Council’s scrutiny and hopes for Legislative support for the early passage of the three legislative amendments.

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