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Jiang Chuqin

A 72-year-old Hong Kong worker has been killed after he was hit on the head by a large water pipe at a site in the northern New Territories.
Police have classified the case as an industrial accident.
The man had been unloading pipes from a truck at a construction site near Man Kok Village in Sheung Shui on Monday when he was struck, according to initial investigations.
The project, a Drainage Services Department contract, reportedly involved repairing an underground stormwater drain.

Wooden supports used to stabilise the pipes came loose, causing them to roll and hit the victim, a plumber, on the head.
Emergency personnel were alerted around 9.52am and the plumber was rushed to North District Hospital in Sheung Shui, where he was pronounced dead.
Staff from the contracting company and related departments later arrived at the scene to follow up on the accident.
The Labour Department said it had promptly deployed staff to the scene upon receiving a report and was conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
A department spokesman said staff had issued suspension notices to contractors and suspended the use of truck-mounted cranes for handling goods at the area.
“The contractors cannot resume the work process until the Labour Department is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken,” the spokesman said.
“We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation.”
Robin Lee Hong-nin, acting director of the Drainage Services Department, said he was deeply concerned about the incident.
Lee expressed condolences to the worker’s family. He said he had told his team to investigate the cause of the accident, review safety measures and provide appropriate help to the family.
The department said it was fully cooperating with the Labour Department and police in their investigations.
Twenty-one fatal industrial accidents were reported this year as of December 18, according to the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, which cited Labour Department data.
Twelve of the cases were in the construction industry, and six in the transport, storage, postal and courier services sectors.
A third of the fatal incidents were caused by individuals being struck by moving or falling objects.
Five cases involved people falling to their deaths. Another five involved individuals being trapped inside or between objects.
“We have observed that many similar incidents are caused by a failure to use the correct lifting tools, inadequate stabilisation of moving objects in advance and a lack of operator training,” association chief executive Fay Siu Sin-man said.
She added that many accidents involved processes such as lifting, machinery use and cargo unloading.
The association said it was trying to contact the plumber’s family to offer help.
Following the accident, the Hong Kong Institute of Safety Practitioner issued recommendations to avoid similar cases, including planning meticulously before commencing lifting operations.
It said a danger zone must be designated where no one is permitted to enter during operations, and personnel should not be present beneath objects that were being lifted.
All lifting devices must be used correctly and possess adequate strength to support the total weight of the suspended items to prevent any risk of falling, the institute said.
Additional reporting by Lo Hoi-ying


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Man was offloading water pipes from a crane truck at a Sheung Shui construction site, investigation shows


Man was offloading water pipes from a crane truck at a Sheung Shui construction site, investigation shows.
