Labour Department concludes territory-wide construction inspection

The operation covered 467 construction sites.

The Hong Kong Labour Department completed a two-week territory-wide enforcement operation targeting building maintenance sites with large-scale scaffolding, flagging safety breaches at construction sites, according to a press release.

The department inspected 467 sites during the operation starting 28 November and issued 249 written warnings and 112 improvement notices. It also initiated 25 prosecutions, mainly involving smoking prohibitions, unsafe working at height, failure to maintain fire escapes and fire-fighting equipment, and failure to provide personal protective equipment.

The department said it will monitor remediation progress and take enforcement action under the law if unsafe working conditions persist. It added that it will inspect sites where scaffold nets have been removed and notify relevant departments if external wall work continues on scaffolds.

Immediate enforcement action where the department identifies imminent risks will be done, including issuing suspension notices and initiating prosecutions without prior warning. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, employers face a maximum fine of $10m and imprisonment for two years for serious breaches.

The department will continue follow-up inspections at sites where violations were detected and at work sites where scaffold nets have been removed from external building walls.