LCQ13: Smart monitoring of site safety
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Question:
In order to enhance the overall level of occupational safety and health (OSH) in Hong Kong and safeguard workers' safety, the authorities have been promoting the optimal use of innovative technology in the construction industry for the implementation of the Smart Site Safety System (the System) in recent years. However, it has been reported that many frontline workers not only resist using technology-assisted equipment such as smart safety helmets, but even seek ways to evade monitoring by various smart devices. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) apart from the several new measures introduced in 2024 (including a labelling scheme and subsidies for the application of the System in private construction projects), of the additional measures the authorities have adopted over the past two years to promote the implementation of the System in the industry, including whether the authorities have allocated additional resources and strengthened training; whether the authorities have assessed the territory-wide coverage and actual effectiveness of the System and such measures; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) over the past two years, apart from using small unmanned aircraft to assist in stepping up OSH inspections, whether the authorities have adopted any other new technological equipment to step up site inspections, and provided more smart site-related OSH education and training to various stakeholders in the construction industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) in view of the behaviour of some frontline workers who evade monitoring by various smart devices, whether the authorities will discuss with the industry as soon as possible the corresponding strategies to further enhance OSH level at construction sites across Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Government, as a party responsible for public works projects and an advocate of site safety policies, attaches great importance to site safety. The Development Bureau (DEVB), as a major stakeholder for public works, maintains close co-operation with the Labour Department (LD) and other stakeholders to deliberate and implement various site safety measures, including driving the construction industry to fully adopt the Smart Site Safety System (4S) to enhance site safety. The 4S enables remote monitoring of high-risk activities of construction sites in real time (such as lifting operations, confined spaces work, and mobile machinery operations). It can detect hazards early and issue immediate alerts to prevent the occurrence of serious incidents. The 4S can analyse the safety performance data collected to identify the crux of potential safety hazards for formulating appropriate enhancement measures.
Having consulted the LD, the reply to various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) The DEVB has required public works contracts exceeding $30 million to fully adopt the 4S since February 2023. Contractors are required to update and review the adoption of the 4S during monthly site safety management committee meetings with the resident site staff and take effective measures to ensure the 4S is properly adopted on site. Resident site staff will also check whether the 4S has been properly adopted in a continuous manner during site inspections.
Regarding private works projects, to expedite full adoption of the 4S in the construction industry, the Government has introduced a series of enhanced measures since 2024 with a view to promoting the adoption of the 4S in private building works. The measures include:
(i) The Buildings Department (BD) has introduced mandatory measures since July 2024. Conditions will be imposed on building works under the Buildings Ordinance when the first approval for superstructure plans of private works projects or approval for major revisions of superstructure plans is granted. For building works with an estimated cost exceeding $30 million and involving the use of mobile plants and tower cranes, registered contractors should use the 4S Mobile Plant Alert System and Tower Crane Alert System. Since July 2025, the aforementioned mandatory requirements have been extended to demolition works, excavation and lateral support works, foundation works and site formation works. Even if the relevant mandatory requirements have not been imposed when the building plans of the private works projects are approved, the aforesaid requirements will also be imposed by the BD when the first consent for the commencement of building works is granted. The mandatory requirements are also applicable to additions and alterations projects involving structural works;
(ii) In May 2024, the DEVB and the Construction Industry Council (CIC) launched the 4S Labelling Scheme, under which labels are issued to construction sites that have been verified as properly adopting 4S. The 4S plaques are placed at conspicuous spots around construction sites that have been issued with the labels for identification and to facilitate monitoring of the construction sites without 4S labels by enforcement departments (such as the LD). The list of such construction sites is available at the CIC's webpage (www.cic.hk/content/4s-labelling/en/project-list) for public inspection;
(iii) The DEVB and the LD have established a notification mechanism. During site inspections, the LD will assess the adoption of the 4S at construction sites. If it is obvious that the sites with 4S labels issued have failed to adopt the 4S properly, the LD will notify the DEVB as soon as possible for referring the cases to the CIC for follow-up actions. The CIC will also conduct surprise inspections to check the adoption of the 4S of the construction sites with 4S labels issued. The 4S label of a construction site will be confiscated by the CIC if the site is found not having properly adopted the 4S. The above measure is also applicable to public works sites with 4S labels issued;
(iv) The Government has been subsidising the adoption of the 4S at construction sites of private works projects (including works projects self-financed by public organisations) through the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund (CITF). The scope of subsidy under the CITF has been extended since May 2024 to cover the relevant additional expenses in various aspects of adopting the 4S, including network capacity upgrades, additional manpower employed for the 4S operation, maintenance and technical support arising from the use of the 4S. From September to November 2024, the applicant eligibility of the CITF has been extended to local mobile plant/tower crane rental companies. The subsidy ceiling for each company is $7.5 million to support the installation of danger zone alert system on their machinery; and
(v) The Government has injected $1 billion again into the CITF in 2026, together with the CIC's contribution of $400 million, bringing the total to $1.4 billion to continue supporting industry development and promoting the wider adoption of innovative construction methods and new technologies, including the 4S, in the industry.
The CIC has stepped up its publicity efforts and arranged outreach teams to visit construction sites. These teams aim to promote the use of the 4S in the industry, and the financial support available through the CITF. In addition, the CIC prepares and proposes different types of 4S packages with a view to assisting the industry to choose appropriate devices under the 4S having regard to factors such as the different nature of works and site environment. The CIC has also provided 4S-related training courses, including Certificate in 4S Planning and Implementation and Certificate in Safety Supervision with 4S. The CIC has also incorporated 4S-related content into its safety conference, seminars and safety training courses for site personnel at different levels to enhance the awareness and attention to the 4S of relevant personnel.
Currently, about 60 per cent of new construction projects and maintenance projects underway across the territory with a contract sum exceeding $30 million have adopted the 4S and been issued with labels. Since the introduction of the above-mentioned policy measures requiring construction sites to adopt the 4S or its related devices, the overall accident rate in the construction industry has dropped notably by approximately 20 per cent from 2023 to 2025, thus having a positive impact on site safety and providing workers with more comprehensive protection.
(2) The LD has started using small unmanned aircraft (SUA) to assist frontline officers in law enforcement work since October 2025. The SUA is used for aerial photography and videography of work sites. The captured images are used to generate three-dimensional photorealistic models to enhance the effectiveness of occupational safety and health inspections, accident investigations and evidence collection, etc. In addition, the LD has recently introduced the use of handheld point cloud scanners, allowing frontline staff to quickly and accurately scan the environment of the workplace under scenarios where drones cannot be used (such as congested areas, indoor areas, or restricted flying zones). The data collected by scanners can also be used to generate three-dimensional photorealistic models to assist in accident investigations and law enforcement.
As the technology matures and the deployment of body-worn video cameras (BWVC) has become increasingly common in the construction industry, the DEVB has recently required the frontline staff of resident site staff and contractors in all public works contracts to equip with BWVCs during site inspections, with a view to effectively enhancing site supervision, safety management, quality control and works progress monitoring.
For enhancing the awareness and attention to the 4S of relevant personnel, the CIC has provided 4S-related training courses, please refer to the part (1) of the reply above.
(3) We understand that the situations where frontline workers resist the use of or attempt to evade monitoring by various smart devices are not common. We nevertheless will continue to closely monitor the situation and deliberate feasible measures to uplift site safety with industry stakeholders. In fact, every member of the project team plays a crucial role in ensuring site safety. Everyone has the responsibility to perform their own duties. The CIC has been proactively implementing measures to enhance the safety awareness of frontline personnel and nurturing a safety culture. The Government also appreciates that the CIC and industry stakeholders have reached a consensus and duly implemented the Frontline Personnel Safety Performance Recording Scheme applicable to frontline personnel of construction sites, aiming to let the frontline personnel to continuously take note on their safety performance during daily work, to praise and record the good behaviour of outstanding performers. It can also timely remind those whose safety behaviours need improvement. Specific safety performance improvement courses will be arranged for them outside working hours, with a view to helping frontline personnel to further enhance their safety awareness and site safety performance.
Ends/Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Issued at HKT 16:08
Issued at HKT 16:08
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