The Development Bureau today imposed regulatory action on a contractor and subcontractor involved in a November 22 fatal industrial incident at a public works construction site in Sai Kung.

In notifications issued to both partties, the bureau suspended them from tendering for public works contracts under specific cateogories with immediate effect, in accordance with the regulatory regime.

The contractor faces exclusion from roads and drainage works, and the subcontractor from electrical and mechanical installation works at sewage treatment and screening plants.

The bureau said the contractor was on the List of Approved Contractors for Public Works, while the subcontractor was on the List of Approved Suppliers of Materials & Specialist Contractors for Public Works.

The contractor and subcontractor must both conduct independent safety audits to review their safety management systems, then submit an improvement action plan and implement improvement measures with a view to demonstrating that they have effective safety management systems in place before the lifting of their suspensions can be considered.

The suspensions from tendering are also applicable to tender exercises which have been initiated but not concluded.

The Labour Department is investigating the industrial incident.

Subject to the investigation's findings, the bureau may impose further regulatory actions on the contractor and subcontractor. This may include extending the suspension period and even removal from the abovementioned lists.