Advertisement
Accidents and personal safety
Opinion
SCMP Editorial
Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Workplace deaths cannot be price Hong Kong pays for development

With the city recording at least six industrial work fatalities in the first quarter of this year, stakeholders at all levels must step up attention to workplace safety

3-MIN READ3-MIN
Listen
Police and Labour Department officers investigate an accident after an excavator fell on its side, killing a 41-year-old man, at a construction site in Ho Man Tin on June 29. Photo: Jelly Tse
SCMP Editorial
Editorials represent the views of the South China Morning Post on the issues of the day.
Hong Kong does not lack work safety rules. Regrettably, lapses in awareness, compliance and supervision occur from time to time, as reflected in the disturbingly frequent industrial fatalities in recent years. It is imperative that all stakeholders take occupational safety more seriously lest the city’s development continue to come at the expense of human lives.
It may sound ironic that the latest incident involved a construction safety manager. He fell to his death at a building site in Kowloon City during an inspection, raising questions about the work safety culture in the construction sector. The 39-year-old plunged from the rooftop of the former Regal Oriental Hotel, which is being redeveloped into a student hostel amid an influx of non-local students under the government’s drive to turn Hong Kong into an education and talent hub.

We trust that the Labour Department, which swiftly commenced an on-site investigation after being notified of the accident, is taking the case seriously. It has issued suspension notices to the contractors concerned and ordered them to halt the use of the building’s roof under alteration, adding that it would identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of those involved and recommend improvement measures. The department has pledged to take action pursuant to the law if it finds any violation of work safety legislation.

If the government response sounds familiar, it is because there have been far too many fatal industrial accidents in recent years. There have been no fewer than six industrial work fatalities in the first quarter of this year alone, up from three in the same period last year, according to the department’s records. Indeed, the total number of industrial accidents dropped from 8,134 in 2023 to 7,371 in 2024. The figure in the construction industry also fell slightly from 3,097 to 3,037 during the period. But the sector still recorded the highest number of fatalities and accident rate among major industries, with the death toll hitting 20 in 2023 and 14 in 2024. Worryingly, the total number of work fatalities was 32 in 2023 and 28 in 2024.

It is regrettable there have been already no fewer than four deadly cases over the past two months. On June 17, a 65-year-old man succumbed to abdominal injuries after being struck by an excavator at a recycling site in Tuen Mun. On June 26, a worker died after being run over by a construction vehicle at Kowloon Bay Sports Ground. Three days later, a construction worker died after an excavator overturned in Ho Man Tin, trapping him and another worker. On July 27, a 62-year-old worker died after falling from a six-metre-high (20-foot) platform while conducting plane repairs at Hong Kong International Airport.

Even though official data shows a downward trend in work injuries and accidents, it must not give a false sense of safety having improved significantly across industries. The recurrence of fatalities points to more than isolated cases of lapses in judgment, violation of rules or slack supervision. Behind these figures are bereft spouses and children, shattered families and the sudden loss of economic lifelines. While the circumstances of each case may involve inadequacies of different parties or at different levels, they call into question the overall work safety culture.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x