This file photo dated Feb 23, 2022 shows a construction site in Kai Tak, Hong Kong. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
Construction experts on Wednesday proposed conducting daily inspections of scaffolding at construction sites and introducing technology to alert workers to any anomalies that may be detected, following a fatal incident in Hong Kong on Tuesday resulting from falling scaffolding, which caused two deaths and three injuries.
Two women who were working on the ground were crushed to death when a bamboo scaffolding structure measuring 15 meters by 8 meters detached and collapsed from an external wall of the 19th floor of a building under construction on Shing Fu Lane in Kai Tak, Kowloon, on Tuesday. Three workers, one of whom was working on the exterior of the 19th floor, while the other two were working on the ground, were injured.
Lee Kwong-sing, education and training executive for Hong Kong Institute of Safety Practitioner, told China Daily that the incident was probably caused by the removal of wall ties connectors that hold the scaffolding in place; this probably occurred during the installation of a glass curtain wall, when the connectors hindered workers during their part of the construction process. He pointed out that the existing legislation only requires scaffolding to be inspected by a competent person once every 14 days, adding that this is insufficient as there may be many variables.
Ho Ping-tak, chairman of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Bamboo Scaffolding Workers Union, called on workers not to arbitrarily change the natural structure of the scaffolding, and suggested that technology should be used to design intelligent wall ties connectors that issue security alerts when there are any anomalies
Lee said he believes that at least one careful inspection should be carried out each day before the working day begins. “This simple action can avoid a lot of risks,” Lee said.
Lee suggested that reference could be made to the UK’s Construction Design and Management Regulations, which require the space for the wall ties connectors to be reserved when a building is designed, so that the connectors don’t become intrusive during the construction process and will not need to be removed.
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Ho Ping-tak, chairman of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Bamboo Scaffolding Workers Union, said he agreed that the 14-day inspection cycle is too infrequent, and that supervision should be strengthened.
The veteran scaffolding worker called on workers not to arbitrarily change the natural structure of the scaffolding, and suggested that technology should be used to design intelligent wall ties connectors that issue security alerts when there are any anomalies.
Ho added that the Labour Department (LD) should double down on its inspection efforts at construction sites in Kai Tak, as there are many ongoing large-scale infrastructure projects in the area.
Following the incident, the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union issued a statement in which it strongly urged the LD to launch immediate and in-depth investigations into recent fatal industrial accidents and to publicize their findings.
The union said that the department must learn from past industrial accidents and address any loopholes in the supervision and law enforcement requirements, as well as step up supervision and inspections. Additionally, the union stated, the department is duty-bound to protect the rights and interests of workers, especially with regards to work safety, and to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.
A spokesman for the Buildings Department said that the department will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the incident, including whether the scaffolding, as a temporary structure, complied with the Buildings Ordinance, and whether the registered contractor and any related persons properly discharged their responsibilities.
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The LD will urge the employers concerned to fulfill their compensation obligations to the families of the deceased and the injured under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance. For families facing financial difficulties, the department will provide them with assistance in applying for appropriate emergency funds.
