Scaffold nets have been removed from more than 200 premises across Hong Kong under a government order imposed after authorities found suspected forged safety certificates at two sites in the wake of the deadly Tai Po blaze.
As of 5pm on Monday, a total of 227 private buildings had removed scaffold nets from their external walls to comply with an order from the Buildings Department. Three sites were granted extensions to the deadline – originally set for Saturday – and are expected to complete the required work this week, the government said in a statement.
The construction netting is used to prevent objects from falling to the ground during building work. Non-fire-safe netting was found at the Wang Fuk Court complex, where the deadly blaze engulfed seven of its eight residential towers in late November, killing at least 159 people.
The government issued the mandatory removal order last week after investigations uncovered falsified safety certificates for renovation materials at Fung Wah Estate in Chai Wan and Fortress Garden in Fortress Hill.
A Shandong-based scaffolding netting manufacturer was allegedly responsible for the forgeries.
Local media reported on Monday that, apart from the two residential estates initially under probe, the police had also launched an investigation into four other estates: Baguio Villa in Pok Fu Lam, Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, Ching Lai Court in Cheung Sha Wan, and Margold Mansions in Hung Hom.
Separately, the Labour Department told HKFP that it is investigating a case of suspected fraudulent safety certificates related to scaffolding work in Jordan.
Last week, journalist James Ockenden found two scaffolding safety inspection certificates that appeared to have been signed with a future date.
Ockenden uploaded two photos to social media on Thursday. One photo showed a certificate for scaffolding work at Chuang’s London Plaza in Jordan, with the most recent inspection entry dated Friday, December 5.
The inspection certificate recorded the scaffolding as being in safe working order and was signed by an inspector named Chan Chi-ho.
In response to HKFP’s enquiries about why the certificates were marked with a future date, the Labour Department said it “is highly concerned” about the safety of scaffolding work.
An investigation was launched immediately after it learned of the incident, it said.
The Labour Department did not disclose details of the case, citing the ongoing investigation.
“If the investigation reveals any violation of occupational safety and health legislation, the Department will handle the matter in accordance with the law,” the department said in a Chinese email reply.
It added that the case would be referred to other departments for follow-up if any contraventions fall within their regulatory scope.
As of the end of November, Hong Kong had recorded two convictions of “qualified persons for delivering false scaffolding inspection reports to contractors.”
Without specifying how many inspectors were involved, the department said both cases resulted in fines of HK$10,000 each.
