Hong Kong construction firm fined HK$44,000 for safety lapses that led to worker’s death
Aggressive Construction Engineering, main contractor of Yau Tong residential project, and two other firms fined total of HK$130,000
A Hong Kong engineering firm has been fined HK$44,000 (US$5,700) for failing to implement safety measures at a site, which led to a worker’s death two years ago and ultimately cost the company its operating licence.
The fatal accident occurred on December 14, 2022, when a 886kg steel beam used to provide lateral support collapsed while it was being removed 90cm above the basement floor of the site, killing 55-year-old Luk Wai-ying, an employee of sub-subcontractor Yi Shing Steel Engineering.
Luk’s colleague, Tsang Wing-tong, tasked with similar duties, escaped death as he was not working beneath the fallen beam at the time.
Subsequent investigations found that Aggressive Construction Engineering, a subsidiary of Great Harvest Group, failed to provide sufficient training to workers and ensure they adhered to safety protocols.
The court heard workers failed to hook the 3.8m-long steel beam to a sling chain and unknowingly dismantled its supporting frame before the bar was taken down.
