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Lo Hoi-ying

Hong Kong’s government watchdog has urged the authorities to step up random checks on construction sites after its largest investigation in years found staff signing off on safety documents without carrying out actual inspections.
The Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday also called on authorities to speed up investigation procedures and take more rigorous disciplinary actions against contractors that caused workplace accidents.
Ombudsman Jack Chan Jick-chi said that the investigation found that worksites often had insufficient safety measures and workers lacked awareness, while government departments failed to investigate accidents and penalise contractors appropriately.
The investigation, which began in September 2022, looked into over 70 incidents and was one of the ombudsman’s largest investigations in years.
“This is by far our largest and most comprehensive direct investigation operation in many years,” Chan said.
“One life lost in industrial accidents is one too many.”
Chan said the office’s investigation into workplace accidents found “simply absurd” cases regarding high-risk operations, such as bamboo scaffolding and window gondolas, where personnel did not inspect the site before signing off to certify its safety.
In one case, an authorised person signed a form to verify that the scaffolding was safe, but the inspection was dated in the future.
In another case, a person signed the safety forms before the scaffolding was constructed, and was fined HK$7,000 (US$902).
Chan said he suspected such unsafe practices were common in the industry.
“These [supposedly] competent persons failed to carry out inspections properly or did not even carry out inspections at all, but irresponsibly signed forms to certify the safety of the equipment,” he said.
“Such reckless acts pose a serious risk to the safety of workers and the public.”

Chan suggested that the Labour Department develop an electronic platform for contractors to upload inspection records to deter personnel from signing off safety checks ahead of time.
He also suggested the department come up with an inspection checklist during high-risk operations and closely monitor the performance of registered safety auditors.
Between 2018 and 2023, the construction sector recorded 108 fatal industrial accidents, accounting for more than 80 per cent of all workplace accidents.
In the same period, the average annual fine for those found violating occupational safety laws was “merely” between HK$8,000 and HK$10,500, he said.
“Compared with the enormous fees and profits of construction projects, such penalty levels are obviously inadequate to have a deterrent effect,” Chan said.
One contractor was convicted 77 times during the six-year period, showing that some were repeat offenders.
Chan said their “blatant defiance” of the law and disregard for workplace safety was shocking.
For contractors with a history of fatal workplace accidents, the ombudsman found that authorities lacked urgency in investigating incidents, while the penalties were insufficient to deter repeat offenders.
In the 10 years between 2011 and 2021, investigations revealed that the Buildings Department only took disciplinary action against one contractor over a fatal case.
Although the fatality happened in 2009, the Buildings Department only penalised the contractor in 2015 due to delays in back-and-forth communications with the Labour Department.
“This reflects the cumbersome and inefficient procedures for disciplinary action,” Chan said.
The ombudsman also found that the Buildings Department did not follow up on convictions involving fatal accidents, as it had mistakenly thought that the Labour Department would provide them with more details.
“Because they did not receive additional information, they thought there was no need to pursue [those cases],” he said.

The ombudsman said it made 40 suggestions to the Labour Department, Buildings Department and Development Bureau, which were accepted by all of them.
In response, the Labour Department on Wednesday said it was examining and studying the ombudsman’s report in detail and would actively follow up on the relevant recommendations.
A Labour Department spokesman added that it would also strengthen collaboration with the Development Bureau and the Buildings Department.


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Major investigation into over 70 incidents by ombudsman found staff signing off on safety documents without carrying out actual inspections


Major investigation into over 70 incidents by ombudsman found staff signing off on safety documents without carrying out actual inspections.


Hong Kong society