Hong kong open to revising work safety rules for confined areas: minister

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Hong Kong’s labour chief on Saturday said authorities were open to revising safety codes for working in confined spaces, after two men were killed last month when they became trapped in an


underground chamber filled with suspected toxic gas. Advertisement Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said the government would at various points review its health and safety


protocols for workers operating in confined spaces to determine if any revisions were required. He added that authorities would draw lessons from last month’s accident that saw two workers


killed in the suspected biogas leak underground at a construction site managed by rail giant the MTR Corporation in the West Kowloon Cultural District. “We will talk with the sector based on


the latest situation. If necessary, we plan to revise the code for safety and health at work in confined spaces,” Sun said. “One possible direction is to make better use of technology to


see if there are ways to better ensure work safety in confined spaces can be further improved.” The minister also discussed the Labour Department’s citywide check of confined spaces and said


it was making good progress, with inspectors issuing warnings and improvement notices wherever necessary. Advertisement On September 24, 63-year-old Lau Ho-cheong and 61-year-old Kwok


For-kee died after the pair were trapped in an underground tube for more than 12 hours.