A male foreign worker tragically lost his life after falling from a high-rise building in Dr. Carlos d’ Assumpção district. The accident occurred on Saturday afternoon as the worker was replacing an air conditioner on the exterior wall of a residential unit.
According to the investigation, the incident was reported to authorities around 12:12 p.m., when a passerby notified emergency services that someone had fallen from the building. Fire and paramedic crews were dispatched to the scene, but the worker was pronounced dead upon their arrival, with injuries consistent with a fall from a significant height.
Further inquiries revealed that one of the air conditioning brackets on the wall had become disconnected. It is suspected that the worker’s safety rope was fastened to this bracket. When the bracket broke, the worker fell from the building, plummeting to the ground below.
The Public Security Police has notified the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), which has sent officers to the scene to follow up on the incident. The case has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department for further examination.
The DSAL has expressed its deep condolences to the family of the deceased worker and has vowed to assist them in navigating the compensation process for this work-related accident.
The bureau stated that it has been proactively disseminating safety information and guidelines for working at heights, as well as providing mobile temporary anti-fall anchorage devices to ensure the safety of workers in the construction industry.
Meanwhile, the Macau Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Chamber of Commerce has urged industry workers to adhere strictly to the safety guidelines set by the DSAL and implement safety measures to prevent accidents.
The chamber highlighted the risks faced by air-conditioning maintenance technicians when installing or removing air-conditioning accessories outdoors at high altitudes.
Additionally, due to the current high temperatures, there is a rise in the need for air-conditioning parts replacement, which results in an expansion of staff deployment.
The chamber reminded that authorities have emphasized the necessity for air-conditioners to be handled by experienced and adequately trained personnel, with the use of collective protection measures such as mobile temporary anti-fall anchoring devices or scaffolding. Installers must wear suitable safety belts and secure them firmly to stable points.
Meanwhile, DSAL has pledged to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation and to take all the necessary steps to prevent such accidents from occurring in the future. Victoria Chan
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