Two gondola workers were rescued after being trapped mid-air outside Jardine House in Central on Monday evening when their suspended platform apparently fell out of control while they were cleaning the building's exterior.
The Fire Services Department said it received a report at 6.16pm and firefighters arrived about six minutes later, rappelling down from the rooftop to carry out the rescue. One worker trapped outside the 35th floor was brought to the ground, while the other trapped outside the 43rd floor was taken to the rooftop. Both were sent to hospital for examination.
Sources said the two non-Chinese male workers, aged 25 and 47, were on the gondola cleaning the exterior when it descended uncontrollably. The two decided to jump from the platform and stood at the building's iconic circular windows on two higher floors, relying on their waist safety ropes to stay alive.
Firefighters used rope access to rescue the two men to the ground and rooftop. Both suffered abrasions to their hands, apparently from gripping the safety ropes during the rescue, and were taken to hospital. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
According to government information, the Labour Department has issued a Code of Practice for the Safe Use and Operation of Suspended Working Platforms since 1999. The current guidelines state that each person on a gondola should be provided with a suitable safety belt and an independent lifeline or suitable anchorage and fittings, properly designed, constructed and maintained to prevent serious injury if a person falls.
The guidelines say workers should use full-body safety harnesses meeting national standards, such as British Standards or equivalent, rather than general-purpose safety belts. The lanyard should be attached to the rope grab of the independent lifeline or to the manufacturer-designed platform fitting, above the user's waist. The independent lifeline should be securely anchored to a structural member of the rooftop installation and independent of the suspension system.
The guidelines also stress that no part of the working platform, including its guardrails, should be used to anchor the safety harness lanyard.
