Contractor Fined $855,000 for Fatal Construction Site Incidents and Disciplinary Violations

Registered specialist contractor disciplined for offences relating to building works

The Registered Contractors' Disciplinary Board has completed disciplinary inquiries under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) on two fatal incidents at construction sites and decided that the Registered Specialist Contractor (RSC) concerned should be disciplined for having been convicted by courts of offences relating to building works.

The Board ordered the RSC to be fined $855,000 in total. Also, the RSC was ordered to pay $103,600 in total, being the costs of the Board and the Buildings Department (BD) for conducting the inquiries.

The Board's written decisions and orders issued on January 27 were published in the Gazette today (February 6). Details are available at the following links:

Case 1 : egazette.gld.gov.hk/pdf?type=egn&year=2026&volume=30&gno=06&notice_no=789&extra=0

Case 2 : egazette.gld.gov.hk/pdf?type=egn&year=2026&volume=30&gno=06&notice_no=788&extra=0

The first case involved a fatal incident that occurred at a construction site in the West Kowloon Cultural District on January 24, 2022. A worker, while assisting in the repair of a crawler-mounted crane, was trapped between the boom of the crane and a bored pile casing in the vicinity. The worker sustained severe injuries and passed away on the same day. The RSC was prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for violation of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance (FIUO) and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation. The RSC was convicted and fined $314,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts on March 10, 2023. In view of the convictions of the RSC, the BD notified the Board for its consideration of disciplinary action against the RSC under the provisions of section 13(1) of the BO. Upon completion of the disciplinary inquiry, the Board ordered the RSC to be fined $619,000 and to pay a total of $48,800 being the costs of the Board and the BD for conducting the inquiry.

The second case involved a fatal incident that occurred at a construction site in Quarry Bay on January 13, 2020. A crawler-mounted crane slewed in a lifting operation, causing a worker nearby to be trapped between the rear part of the crane and a metal railing. The worker sustained severe injuries and passed away on the same day. The RSC was prosecuted by the LD for violation of the FIUO and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Lifting Appliances and Lifting Gear) Regulations. The RSC was convicted and fined $46,000 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts on October 25, 2021. In view of the convictions of the RSC, the BD notified the Board for its consideration of disciplinary action against the RSC under the provisions of section 13(1) of the BO. Upon completion of the disciplinary inquiry, the Board ordered the RSC to be fined $236,000 and to pay a total of $54,800 being the costs of the Board and the BD for conducting the inquiry.

A spokesperson for the BD reiterated that any registered contractor who contravenes the relevant provisions of the BO in carrying out building works, or is convicted by any court of an offence relating to building works, or has been negligent or has misconducted himself in building works, will be subject to enforcement action including criminal prosecution and disciplinary action under the BO.

Source: AI-created image

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million

Hong Kong Customs detected two dangerous drugs cases in Hong Kong International Airport and Yau Ma Tei respectively on April 1 and yesterday (April 2), and seized a total of about 3.1 kilograms of suspected ketamine, about 1.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine and about 1.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine with a total estimated market value of about $3.4 million. Two persons suspected to be connected with the cases were arrested.

In the first case, a 43-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand on April 1. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 3.1 kilograms of suspected ketamine concealed inside food packaging in his baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.

In the second case, during an anti-narcotics operation conducted in Yau Ma Tei on April 2, Customs officers intercepted a 41-year-old man and later escorted him to a hotel room nearby for a search and seized about 1.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine, about 1.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, a drug inhaling apparatus and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia. The man was subsequently arrested.

The arrested persons have been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug respectively and will appear at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (April 4).

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases