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Sing Fai (Hong Kong) Engineering Company Limited was fined $23,300 at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Court today (September 10) for violation of the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations. The prosecution was launched by the Labour Department.
The case involved a fatal accident on October 4 last year in Tseung Kwan O. A worker fell to his death when erecting a truss-out bamboo scaffold for replacing air-conditioners on the exterior of a domestic flat.
According to Regulations 38B(1), 68(1)(a) and 68(2)(g) of the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations, the contractor must take adequate steps to prevent a person from falling from a height of two metres or more. Any contractor who fails to do so is liable to a fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for 12 months.
In addition, Regulations 38A(2), 68(1)(a) and 68(2)(g) of the regulations stipulate that the contractor must ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that suitable and adequate safe access to and egress from every place of work on the site is provided. Any contractor who fails to do so is liable to a fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for 12 months.
Ends/Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:19
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