Labor minister warns on violating construction safety code

Charlotte Wu

The labor minister yesterday warned that people who violated the codes of practice on lifting construction materials and working from a height will be prosecuted, adding that clear guidelines are already in place.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han's warning came after four workers were injured, two seriously, after being hit by four falling metal rods at a highway construction site of the Central Kowloon Route in Yau Ma Tei on Saturday.

Speaking to the press yesterday, Sun said the Labor Department formulated clear codes of practice for lifting or work-at-height tasks at construction sites and all industrial accidents would be investigated for a breach of those codes.

"If anyone was found to have violated the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance (OSHO), serious follow-up actions would be taken, ranging from issuing warnings to instituting prosecution in serious cases," Sun said.

"We value the safety regulations imposed in both private and public work sites. The Labor and Welfare Bureau and Development Bureau will communicate closely to enhance safety protection at construction sites," he added.

Apart from fixed-point inspections, the Labor Department will conduct more frequent inspections if certain types of industrial accidents occur, such as lifting or work-at-height, according to Sun.

Thomas Ho On-sing, chairman of the Construction Industry Council, was heartbroken over the recent spate of industrial accidents.

He said the causes of these accidents are the same, when some people in the industry rush during the process and fail to conduct a dynamic risk assessment before work starts.

"All accidents occurred in narrow places. If dynamic risk assessments had been done properly, workers would not be in the place that they were in during the accidents," Ho said.

"They should also check the steel cables as well as other important components before commencing work," he added.

An amendment to the safety and health ordinance was passed this April, with an increased maximum penalty of a fine of HK$10 million and two years imprisonment.

Ho said heavy penalties would only have a short-term effect, while raising the safety awareness of workers is the most effective solution.

"Some workers neglect the importance of safety regulations as they rely on their experience. It is crucial to change and improve safety culture in the industry in order to solve the problem," Ho said.

"Most workers are over 50 years old with 30 to 40 years of experience in the industry. They believe their old practices are still applicable in the current workplace. Therefore, I call on site management to pay more visits to their construction sites and change the culture using their management concepts," he added.