Contractor fined for violation of safety legislation

     A contractor (the defendant) was fined $90,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts today (November 8) for violations of the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations. The prosecutions were launched by the Labour Department (LD).

     The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on May 7, 2022, during the maintenance work of a residential unit in Jordan, Kowloon. A scaffolder, while preparing a truss-out scaffold erection on an external wall, fell to the ground and died.

     Since the summonses could not be served to the defendant successfully, and the defendant had been absent from previous hearings, the court upon the LD's application issued warrants for arresting the defendant. The defendant was then arrested and brought to court by the Police for the case hearings.

     The LD adopts a zero-tolerance attitude towards unsafe working-at-height activities and will spare no effort to bring duty-holders who defy the law to justice.

     Moreover, the revised Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety, which came into effect on October 19, enhances the safety requirements for truss-out scaffolding work. For details, please refer to the LD's press release issued on October 18.