Fire safety risks persist at building sites across Hong Kong following the deadly blaze in Tai Po last week, the Construction Industry Council has warned, after a scaffolding worker at a major subsidised estate was sacked for smoking.
Council chairman Thomas Ho On-sing on Saturday criticised companies for failing to have “learned a lesson” from the tragedy.
“I have been inspecting construction sites recently and found that many still have styrofoam boards and volatile paint. They also continue to use flammable materials for covering objects,” he told a radio programme.
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“When they were removing scaffolding nets, they climbed up and down without safety belts. They have not learned a lesson from the pain.”
Ho said cigarette butts could still be found in dark corners and in hazardous spots at construction sites.
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“We must remove all potential sources of fire and flammable materials from construction sites, without any compromise,” he said.