Contractor fined for violating safety rules

Falcon Construction Engineering Limited was fined $70,500 at Tsuen Wan Magistrates' Court in a case involving a  construction site accident that claimed the life of a worker.

The prosecution, launched by the Labour Department, was for the violation of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings regulations and ordinance.

The fatal accident that occurred on January 14 this year at a construction site at Sheung Kwai Chung in which a worker had his left leg crushed by a falling drill bit and subsequently died.

According to Regulation 12 of the regulations covering lifting appliances and lifting gear, the owner shall ensure that a lifting appliance is not used if it is loaded beyond the maximum safe working load. Any owner who fails to do so is liable to a fine of $200,000. 

On the other hand, according to Sections 6A(2)(a) and 13(1) of the ordinance, the proprietor shall provide and maintain a system of work that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risk to the health of the persons employed. Any proprietor who fails to do so is liable to a fine of $500,000.