The Hospital Authority (HA) has expressed concern over a fatal accident today on a construction site at Queen Mary Hospital (QMH), where the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) is carrying out redevelopment works.

This afternoon, a worker employed by a lift engineering subcontractor was trapped in one of the lift shafts. Site management staff immediately called the Fire Services Department to rescue the worker, who was subsequently certified dead upon arrival at QMH’s accident and emergency department.

After receiving a report of the accident, the Labour Department immediately deployed staff to the site and is now conducting an investigation.

Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, the HA extended its sincere condolences to the deceased worker’s family. It also directed the ArchSD to ensure that the contractor involved provides appropriate assistance to the bereaved and supports them in handling the worker’s after-death arrangements.

The HA said site staff from the ArchSD immediately contacted the contractor after the accident to follow the matter up. The contractor has been urged to take the incident seriously and to adopt all necessary measures as soon as possible to ensure site safety. The contractor has also been requested to thoroughly investigate the cause of the incident and submit a report to the ArchSD and the HA, with a view to preventing similar accidents from happening again.

The HA added that it will urge the ArchSD and the contractor to fully co-operate with the Labour Department and enforcement agencies in their investigations.