To enhance construction safety, the Labour Department is conducting a territory-wide inspection blitz on construction sites and buildings undergoing refurbishment or maintenance.

Inspections are carried out to check safety on site, especially in the case of dangerous jobs such as the erection or dismantling of high-level bamboo scaffolding, and electric arc welding or gas welding and flame cutting.

At the end of July, the department had inspected 2,187 construction sites and issued 12 suspension notices and 113 improvement notices, a spokesman said.

A total of 137 summonses had been issued for contravention of safety laws, mainly related to working-at-height, use of personal protective equipment such as helmets and eye protectors, lifting appliances and lifting operations.

To enforce the law against failure to report small-scale building refurbishment or maintenance works to the Labour Department, officers also patrol during weekends and holidays.

Accident rate in construction far exceeds others

Despite a marked decline over the past five years, the accident rate per 1,000 workers in the construction industry still far exceeds that of other industries and its accident toll continues to be the second highest.

On average, more than 80% of industrial fatalities during the period occurred in the construction industry.

In 2002, the construction industry recorded 6,239 accidents with an accident rate per thousand workers of 85.2, against 37.4 for all industries.