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Danny Mok

Hong Kong authorities have suspended a contractor from tendering for any public works projects and launched an investigation after a worker fell to his death from bamboo scaffolding at a construction site.
Without naming the company, the Development Bureau said on Monday that it had suspended the contractor of the site from tendering for public works contracts in the buildings category with immediate effect.
The contractor has also been required to conduct an independent safety audit to review its safety management system, a bureau spokesman added.
The accident was reported at 3.20pm on Sunday after the worker reportedly plunged from bamboo scaffolding nine storeys high in Sau Mau Ping.
The 47-year-old man landed on a two-metre-high working platform and lost consciousness. His colleagues called emergency services.
Paramedics arrived at the On Hei Street site but confirmed the man had died at the scene.
The Labour Department said it was investigating the incident and had issued suspension notices to Hip Hing Engineering, the contractor involved.
“We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures,” a department spokesman said.
“We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation.”
He added that the contractor could not resume work until the department was satisfied with the measures taken to eliminate the relevant risks.
Police are treating the case as an industrial accident and have launched an investigation.
Several blocks of flats are being built on the site and are at least 10 storeys high already. They are part of a subsidised sale flats scheme dubbed the “Anderson Road Quarry Site R2-2 Development”.
More than a dozen workers were present at the time of the accident.

Workers told the media that the man had been working with three other scaffolders on a ninth-floor balcony. They were passing bamboo poles, but one worker lacked the strength to handle the task, so the man switched positions with him.
He unfastened his safety harness during the process and subsequently lost his footing and fell.
The Housing Society expressed its deep sorrow over the incident and extended its heartfelt condolences to the man’s family.
It said that, according to the contractor, the worker was wearing a safety harness and relevant protective gear at the time of the accident.
The society said it has instructed the contractor to conduct a comprehensive review of site safety measures and has requested a detailed incident report.
The project was scheduled for completion between 2026 and 2027, with about 1,400 flats to be provided.
Construction sites typically operate daily, including Sundays and public holidays. However, only work that is not noisy is generally permitted on these days.
During construction, specific safety requirements must be met, including the presence of a safety supervisor and a qualified first-aider.
For scaffolding work, a qualified professional must be present on site.
Fay Siu Sin-man, chief executive of the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, said this type of work required safety harnesses and lifelines working in tandem.
But it was unclear whether the safety harness was properly secured to the lifeline, she said.
She said there were site managers, qualified scaffolders and safety officers on duty, but there might have been fewer supervisory staff compared with regular workdays.
Chau Sze-kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union, said construction sites did not usually operate on Sundays and wondered whether the schedule was too tight.
In September 2022, a 65-tonne tower crane collapsed at the same location, killing three workers and injuring six others.
The Anderson Road development is a government-led initiative spearheaded by the Housing Society.
The site, formerly a quarry, is being transformed into a residential community featuring subsidised sale flats, private housing and public amenities.
The project is expected to accommodate about 25,000 residents, with around 7,530 private homes and 1,880 subsidised sale flats.


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Hong Kong

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Worker, 47, reportedly plunged from bamboo scaffolding nine storeys high at construction site in Sau Mau Ping


Worker, 47, reportedly plunged from bamboo scaffolding nine storeys high at construction site in Sau Mau Ping.


Hong Kong society

Hong Kong workers and labour rights

Hong Kong suspends contractor after worker falls from scaffolding and dies

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Worker, 47, reportedly plunged from bamboo scaffolding nine storeys high at construction site in Sau Mau Ping

Worker, 47, reportedly plunged from bamboo scaffolding nine storeys high at construction site in Sau Mau Ping