Scaffolding collapse injures at least 11 at Kai Tak site

Michael Shum

At least 11 people were injured, including at least four critical and one in serious condition, following the collapse yesterday of a 60-meter-by-20m scaffolding at the construction site of the new acute hospital in Kai Tak.

The incident came less than three months after the government revised its safety code for bamboo scaffolding, which introduced stricter technical requirements for bracings, putlogs, and access and egress.

The revision by the government was prompted by an accident in February last year in which a scaffolding collapsed at the construction site of luxurious residential project Pano Harbour, also in Kai Tak, which killed two and injured three construction workers.

Yesterday's incident occurred at about 4pm on Shing Cheong Road, where the new hospital is being constructed.

Online footage shows several construction workers on the scaffolding at the time of the collapse. Some of the workers were wearing safety belts, but they found themselves stranded mid-air or trapped in-between the scaffolding. Some workers on the ground were unable to escape and were caught by the falling structure.

The Fire Services Department reported that the scaffolding was part of the construction for Block D, a 15-story building of the new hospital.

In total, 11 workers - seven males and four females - were injured, with at least four in critical condition.

One female worker was trapped three meters above the ground, with the department's High Angle Rescue team successfully using a hammock to bring her to safety.Rescue operations continued into the night to ensure no one was trapped beneath the debris.

All injured workers were transported to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Jordan and United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong.

The cause of the collapse is currently under investigation.

In a statement, the Hospital Authority expressed its "extreme concern" over the industrial accident and urged the contractor to take immediate and comprehensive measures to ensure construction site safety.

The contractor involved is China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong), whose workers were engaged in post-installation processes for the curtain walls of one of the buildings on site.

Following the incident, all scaffolding operations will be suspended.

The Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union expressed regret over the accident and called on the Labour Department to conduct a thorough investigation, demanding a public report on the findings.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Institute of Safety Practitioners urged authorities to require building designers to allocate space for putlogs to support scaffold floorboards and to mandate that scaffolding be inspected by licensed professionals every 14 days.