Hong Kong’s construction watchdog should help small firms procure approved scaffolding nets at a lower cost, a leading contractor has said after inspectors found two sites using plastic meshes that failed security tests. Lawrence Ng San-wa, permanent honorary president of the Hong Kong Construction Sub‑contractors Association, said on Monday that the industry was concerned about…
Hong Kong’s development minister has ruled out expanding an approval system for scaffolding nets to cover suppliers, saying it would amount to government overreach, while the first batch of accredited mesh is expected to be available to contractors next week. The accreditation of scaffold nets was among measures introduced to enhance fire safety at construction…
Hong Kong contractors will be able to start installing new scaffolding nets to resume renovation works as early as next week after the deadly Tai Po blaze triggered the citywide removal of mesh at around 420 buildings, an industry body has said. The Construction Industry Council planned to procure 50,000 scaffolding nets, costing HK$170 (US$21.80)…
Ambiguous rules, lax supervision and uncoordinated policies involving at least four departments are among some deep-rooted problems contributing to the inferno that killed 160 residents in Hong Kong, analysts have said, as the Post reviewed what went wrong. Some industry insiders also questioned whether housing authorities, who oversee a lesser-known independent checking unit, should have…
The wages of scaffolding workers in Hong Kong are likely to increase as plastic meshes that have passed a new mandatory fire safety test are expected to be installed at more than 200 buildings from next month, according to a construction industry representative. But another construction industry leader said on Friday that the cost of…
Hong Kong authorities will announce new requirements for contractors to sample and certify the city’s scaffolding nets as early as Thursday, under which every batch of materials sampled on site could be required to pass a fire-retardant test at authorised laboratories after the deadly blaze in Tai Po, the Post has learned. Insiders said on…
Hong Kong authorities will announce new requirements for contractors to sample and certify the city’s scaffolding nets as early as Thursday, under which every batch of materials sampled on site could be required to pass a fire-retardant test at authorised laboratories after the deadly blaze in Tai Po, the Post has learned. Insiders said on…
Police have launched an investigation into renovation work under way at two housing estates in Hong Kong, following media reports that their scaffolding net safety certificates may have been falsified. Security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Wednesday evening that an official police probe had been launched into renovation projects at Fung Wah Estate in…