Hong Kong worker, 58, dies after fainting in crane cabin 6 metres above ground at container port
- Man’s colleague found him unconscious inside cabin at around 8am, prompting a rescue effort by firefighters, according to police
- Death marks third fatality on industrial site over span of nine days
A 58-year-old Hong Kong worker died on Tuesday after fainting in a crane cabin six metres (20 feet) above ground at Kwai Tsing Container Terminals, marking the third fatality on an industrial site in nine days.
Police said the man’s colleague found him unconscious inside the cabin at around 8am, towards the end of his shift. Rescue services rushed the man to the nearby Princess Margaret Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
An investigation into the cause of death was under way, the force said, adding that the worker had a history of heart disease.
Police and the Labour Department have not classified the incident as an industrial accident.
Hong Kong worker dies after being trapped under abandoned cargo loader
Separately, a 36-year-old painter fell 2.5 metres while working at a village house in Sai Kung. He briefly lost consciousness and was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei for treatment.
The 58-year-old worker’s death marks the third fatality at an industrial site over a span of nine days.
A 33-year-old recycling firm employee died on Thursday last week after he was trapped under an abandoned cargo loader near Hong Kong International Airport.
On Christmas Day, a 60-year-old worker died after he was trapped by a reversing garbage truck at the North East New Territories Landfill in Ta Kwu Ling.
Hong Kong worker dies at landfill after being trapped between truck and bridge
According to the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, 25 of the 28 people who died in industrial accidents last year worked in the construction industry.
The association referenced statistics from the Labour Department, showing that there were 145 work-related fatalities in the first half of 2023. The figure was higher compared with the same period in 2022 and 2021.
The association said the current pre-employment safety training in the construction industry was only 7.5 hours, but it should be extended to two to three days.
Hong Kong’s construction sector ‘must improve safety culture to reduce deaths’
After analysing more than 20 fatal accidents, Thomas Ho On-sing, chairman of the Construction Industry Council, earlier said that the habits of workers and safety culture in the industry were predominant factors.
He stressed that there was a need for improvement in the safety culture and estimated that this could take three to five years, adding that a dynamic risk assessment was not carried out at some construction sites, which could help prevent accidents.
Ho said there were ongoing discussions with the sector about introducing a standardised points system for frontline managers and workers to encourage good practices, with the aim of implementing it in the first half of this year.
