The Development Bureau has further suspended the contractor involved in an October 10 fatal industrial incident at a construction site at To Wah Road, Kowloon from tendering for public works contracts for a year.

The bureau today said the Government attaches great importance to construction safety and the extension of the suspension period was made pursuant to the regulating regime.

The contractor concerned was on the bureau’s list of approved contractors for public works and approved suppliers of materials and specialist contractors for public works.

Involved in a tower crane accident at an Anderson Road construction site last year, the contractor has been suspended from tendering for public works contracts in all categories until the end of this year.

In response to yesterday’s fatal industrial incident, the bureau is initiating further regulating action on the contactor and has served a notice specifying that its eligibility for tendering for public works contracts in all categories will be further suspended until December 31, 2024.

Furthermore, the bureau also suspended today the subcontractor concerned, an approved supplier of materials and specialist contractor, from tendering for public works contracts in all categories for three months.

The subcontractor has to conduct an independent safety audit to review its safety management system, taking cognisance of its outcome, submit an improvement action plan and implement relevant measures.

The bureau will only consider lifting the tendering suspension when the contractor demonstrates that it has an effective safety management system.

The bureau noted that a probe into the incident is ongoing, adding that subject to the investigation findings of the fatal industrial incident, it may extend the suspension period for tendering for public works contracts and even remove the contractor and subcontractor from the lists.