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Eric Jiang

A construction worker has died after falling while erecting scaffolding, marking Hong Kong’s 19th fatal accident in the construction industry and second to involve truss-out platforms this year, according to police and a concern group.
The force said it received a report at 11.39am on Friday that a male worker had fallen and was found lying on a podium along Yu Chau Street in Sham Shui Po.
The man was rushed to the nearby Caritas Medical Centre, where he was later declared dead. Police have classified the case as an industrial accident, with the exact cause of death to be determined by an autopsy.
The Labour Department said it had immediately deployed staff to the scene upon receiving the report, adding that it was investigating the cause of the incident.
The department also issued suspension notices to involved contractors, halting the erection, alteration, dismantling and use of scaffolds on the building’s external wall until the relevant risks were addressed.
Fay Siu Sin-man, chief executive of the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, said the victim was a 50-year-old sub-subcontractor who had worked as a scaffolder for many years.
The man arrived at the site at around 8am and was putting up his second set of scaffolding when a support bracket was suspected to have come loose, causing him to fall, she said.
She added that the building had suffered from water leakage, and that the scaffolding was being erected to allow for inspections and repairs.
Siu said the man left behind two adult children – a son who was a student and a daughter who was unemployed.
“I feel grief about the accident, but it also reflects just how severe and frequent workplace accidents have become,” she said.
Siu noted that it was the 19th fatal accident in the construction industry this year and the second such incident to involve truss-out scaffolds.
The first such accident occurred in February, when a 57-year-old worker fell to his death while setting up scaffolding on the exterior wall of a Maxim’s Group food factory in Tai Po. The case was also classified as an industrial accident.
The association at the time urged frontline workers to ensure their own safety and said employers should also provide suitable equipment, such as safety belts, and monitor employees working at height to ensure they used the gear properly.
Siu said on Friday that she hoped the employer, the main contractor and the subcontractor involved in the latest case could make proper arrangements to support the family.
She also urged the man’s employer and the relevant authorities to seriously review how to prevent such accidents.


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The man was declared dead at Caritas Medical Centre. Photo: Edmond So

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Police say they received a report of a construction worker discovered lying on podium along Yu Chau Street in Sham Shui Po


Police say they received a report of a construction worker discovered lying on podium along Yu Chau Street in Sham Shui Po.


The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims (Hong Kong)

Hong Kong society

Man dies in fall from scaffolding in 19th fatal construction accident this year

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Police say they received a report of a construction worker discovered lying on podium along Yu Chau Street in Sham Shui Po

Police say they received a report of a construction worker discovered lying on podium along Yu Chau Street in Sham Shui Po