A spokesman for the Development Bureau (DEVB) said today (November 24) that the Government attached great importance to construction site safety. In response to the fatal industrial incident on a private works site at the Peak yesterday (November 23), the DEVB, being the party to procure services for public works, has suspended the contractor concerned from tendering for public works contracts pursuant to the regulating regime.
The spokesman said that the contractor concerned was under the List of Approved Contractors for Public Works (the List). The DEVB issued a notification to the contractor concerned yesterday evening to suspend it from tendering for public works contracts in site formation category with immediate effect. The contractor concerned has to conduct an independent safety audit to review its safety management system. Taking cognisance of the outcome of the independent safety audit, the contractor is required to submit an improvement action plan and implement improvement measures, with a view to demonstrating that it has an effective safety management system before uplifting of the suspension from tendering can be considered. The suspension from tendering is not only confined to future tender exercises, but is also applicable to tender exercises with procedures initiated but not concluded.
Relevant government department is investigating this industrial incident and will handle it in accordance with the law. Subject to the investigation findings, the DEVB will impose further regulating actions on the contractor concerned later on, including extension of the period of suspension from tendering for public works contracts and even removal from the List.
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