Ten injured in metal scaffolding collapse at Hong Kong waste treatment plant
- Workers were carrying out repairs to incinerator when seven-storey support structure gave way
- Nearly 100 rescuers using life detectors and sniffer dogs combed through the debris to find men trapped inside
Ten workers were injured after a metal scaffolding tower rising seven storeys inside a government-owned chemical waste treatment facility collapsed in Hong Kong on Sunday.
Nearly 100 emergency rescuers using life detector devices and sniffer dogs combed through the debris at the Tsing Yi plant in search of the workers, one of whom was in serious condition. The government has launched an investigation into the incident to determine whether workplace safety rules were violated at the facility, which is run by Ecospace.
A dozen workers were spread across the scaffolding, with levels spaced about two metres apart, which had been erected to carry out repairs inside the incinerator chimney when the structure gave way.
Firefighters said they arrived on the scene within five minutes of receiving the call at 9.15am.
“Many were injured and there was a risk of a further collapse,” said Hung Tak-shing, commander of the Kwai Chung Fire Station. “The narrow space inside the incinerator made rescue operations difficult.”
The incinerator, which is 25 metres (82 feet) high and four metres across, was dimly lit, so rescuers employed the life detection devices and dogs but still took more than an hour to find four men trapped inside. They sustained injuries to the head, back, pelvis and legs.
Six workers were able to leave the site on their own, while the 10 injured – all men aged between 22 and 61 – were sent to hospital. One worker was in serious condition as of 7pm, while the others were listed in stable, according to the Hospital Authority. They are being treated at Princess Margaret and Yan Chai hospitals and the Caritas Medical Centre.
In total, 15 fire trucks and 18 ambulances – involving 99 rescuers – were involved in the operation.
A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department said the injured men were employed by a subcontractor of Ecospace, a unit of resources treatment firm Veolia based in France.
They would be provided with assistance.
“The [department] takes the accident very seriously and has ordered the operator to submit a report within one month, so the department can conduct a follow-up investigation,” he said, adding the structural integrity of the plant was unaffected.
Why an industrial accident could mean a life of pain and poverty for Hong Kong construction workers
The Labour Department said it was “highly concerned” about the incident and would launch an investigation and determine the liability of parties involved.
“We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of work safety laws,” it said.
It ordered the immediate suspension of any work related to the metal scaffold and repairs.
Employers who fail to provide a safe working environment face a maximum fine of HK$500,000 (US$64,500) and six months’ imprisonment.
The plant, which opened in 1993, collects, analyses and treats up to 100,000 tonnes of chemical waste a year. It is also a designated facility for handling clinical waste.
The Post has contacted Ecospace for comment.
