Subcontractors fined for endangering workers on HKZMB project

Two subcontractors involved in the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge were fined yesterday for failing to ensure the safety and health of employees with regard to an accident in 2017 which claimed the lives of two workers and injured three others.
WSS Engineering Systems and United Construction & Manpower Service were each fined HKD30,000.
The two firms sent workers to the mega project’s three main contractors where they were tasked with imposing measures to safeguard the safety of employees.
As cited in a report issued by South China Morning Post, Hong Kong magistrate Lam Tsz-kan said that the two subcontractors had turned a blind eye to a lack of safety measures, noting that “a safe system of work had not been provided to the workers.”
In 2017, a worker from Nigeria fell into the sea when the platform’s cables snapped and the structure collapsed. About four hours later, another worker was found and was also pronounced dead.
It was reported that the two men who died were unable to release their safety belts and sank with the platform.
During the construction of the world’s longest sea-crossing, a total of 20 workers were killed and more than 500 were injured.
Meanwhile, three main contractors of the project pleaded guilty to 27 breaches of occupational safety in January last year and were fined a total of HKD614,000. LV