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William Yiu

Hong Kong should make safety design a part of all building development plans and address the culture of rushing work at construction sites, industry leaders have said after the city recorded 15 fatal industrial accidents earlier this year.
Their calls followed the warning by Construction Industry Council chairman Thomas Ho On-sing on Monday that the number of such accidents was on the rise despite stiffer penalties, reflecting that a safety culture had failed to take root.
Ho pointed out that up to 70 to 80 per cent of accidents at worksites were caused by bad habits and poor mindsets, while all 15 fatal accidents were triggered by the pressure to finish projects quickly, which he described as among the deadliest factors on construction sites.
Chau Sze-kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union, said on Tuesday that safety awareness had improved but had yet to become second nature in a sector where “rushing culture” was still prevalent.
“For instance, the media recently exposed workers on exterior scaffolding without wearing safety belts or hooking on to independent lifeline ropes. This is a clear case of safety measures not being properly implemented. Ultimately, we need to embed a safety-first culture,” he said.
Chau said the issue stemmed from both worker habits and a lack of management supervision, while the provision of safety tools and improved design at the outset of construction would also minimise risks.
He said some countries had already incorporated “design for safety” in their construction plans, which effectively reduced the number of deaths on their worksites.
Designing for safety involves identifying potential hazards in the early stages of conceptual planning and managing safety during subsequent construction.
Studies showed that about 60 per cent of construction accidents could be traced back to lapses in early design and planning, according to a report by the Legislative Council last year.
The city’s fatality rate in the construction sector was 17.8 per 100,000 workers in 2023, among the highest across advanced economies.
Australia and Singapore have enacted laws to mandate design for safety principles in construction projects, with fatality rates of 2.8 and 3.4 per 100,000 workers, respectively, the Legco report noted.
Chau said that a culture of safety had failed to take root in Hong Kong as workers were careless and wanted to take short cuts, while management and safety officers also failed to provide adequate oversight.
He added that the “rushing culture” seen on construction sites was caused by tight deadlines and penalties for failing to meet those deadlines.
“Under tight deadlines, main contractors face severe financial penalties and serious reputational damage if a project is delayed. At the subcontractor level, they lack bargaining power,” he said.

He said frontline workers, who were simply trying to make a living, also had no power to negotiate better safety provisions or longer deadlines.
“One could argue they could just refuse the work, but if a worker says no once or twice, no one will hire them again. They are caught in a helpless position where they have to literally choose between their livelihood and their lives,” Chau said.
Lawrence Ng San-wa, permanent honorary president of the Hong Kong Construction Sub-contractors Association, said there was still room for the industry to improve its safety record.
Echoing Chau, Ng said the industrial accident rate in Hong Kong was tied to individual failings – including workers’ behaviour and inadequate supervision by management – as well as broader, more systemic factors that were sometimes linked to environmental hazards.
Ng stressed that it was “unfair to place the blame solely on frontline workers” and that changing mindsets required “the commitment of all construction industry stakeholders” to deal with broader issues of planning.
He cited the example of recent extreme weather events, saying they had resulted in tighter construction schedules, which in turn led workers to neglect safety protocols in their rush to meet deadlines.
“We all have to understand that work is important, but lives matter most,” Ng said.


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Hong Kong society

Construction safety design needed to reduce fatal accidents in Hong Kong: experts

Construction workers work on bamboo scaffolding at a building in Central. Photo: Karma Lo

Chau Sze-kit of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union says workers lack power to negotiate better safety provisions and have to “literally choose between their livelihood and their lives”. Photo: Sun Yeung

Construction Industry Council chairman Thomas Ho has said all 15 fatal industrial accidents that occurred in Hong Kong earlier this year were triggered by deadline pressures. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Police officers investigate at a construction site in Tsuen Wan after three gas cylinders fell from a crane, killing one worker and injuring two others in January. Photo: Jelly Tse

Labour unions call for mandatory heatstroke-prevention equipment for workers

Unions want Hong Kong employers to be legally required to provide outdoor workers with protective gear during extreme heat. Photo: Karma Lo

Chau Sze-kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union, says employers should be required to provide fan-cooled jackets, as they were for safety helmets. Photo: Sun Yeung

Calls for system review after lowest alert in force during record-breaking heat

Appropriate rest breaks should be arranged depending on the conditions. Photo: Karma Lo

A construction worker shelters from the sun in Central. Photo: Karma Lo

Tighter site safety urged after Hong Kong records over 60 industrial accidents

Police inspect the scene of the  fatal excavator accident on Monday. Photo: Jelly Tse

Another worker died after being struck by a road roller at a Kowloon Bay refurbishment site on Friday. Photo: Dickson Lee

Chau Sze-kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union, says accidents involving machinery were common in the sector. Photo: Sun Yeung

News

Hong Kong

City’s poor industrial safety record, including 15 fatalities so far this year, marked by bad habits and broader systemic and planning issues


City’s poor industrial safety record, including 15 fatalities so far this year, marked by bad habits and broader systemic and planning issues.


Construction safety design needed to reduce fatal accidents in Hong Kong: experts

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}City’s poor industrial safety record, including 15 fatalities so far this year, marked by bad habits and broader systemic and planning issues

City’s poor industrial safety record, including 15 fatalities so far this year, marked by bad habits and broader systemic and planning issues