Hong Kong issues 21 smoking fines on construction sites in first 6 days of ban

Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui says authorities inspected about 530 construction sites during the first six days of the ban The smoking ban took effect on July 17. Photo: Jelly Tse Hong Kong authorities issued 21 fixed-penalty notices in the first six days of a citywide ban on smoking on construction sites, the labour commissioner has revealed, describing the situation as not ideal. Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum said on Saturday that about 530 construction sites had been inspected during the first six days of the ban, which took effect on July 17. Apart from the 21 fixed-penalty tickets, authorities also issued five improvement notices to contractors, with one case currently undergoing evidence evaluation for potential prosecution, he said. Authorities also issued about 300 written and verbal warnings and suggestions, mostly involving the basic management of no-smoking measures, such as whether site boundaries and posted no-smoking notices were clear, he added. “We issued a total of 21 fixed-penalty notices. Out of more than 500 construction sites, 21 works out at about three or four notices per 100 sites,” Hui said on a television programme. “This situation is not entirely ideal, but it is not severe either.” The new ban was introduced after the devastating fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate, which killed 168 people last November and was suspected to have been caused by workers smoking while carrying out renovations. Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui (right) visits a construction site on the day the ban took effect. Photo: Elson Li Under the legal amendments, anyone caught smoking at a construction site faces a fixed penalty of HK$3,000 (US$383), while contractors face a fine of up to HK$400,000 if they fail to ensure their sites are smoke-free. Hui said all inspections were carried out unannounced, with priorities assigned based on factors such as the types of sites and risk assessments. “There are cases like Wang Fuk Court where the entire housing estate underwent major repairs, but we also pay special attention to relatively smaller repair works where residents are coming and going or living nearby,” he said. “If fire hazards are not properly controlled in these areas, the direct impact can quickly spread to places where other residents live.” He reiterated that designated smoking areas were not provided on construction sites to prevent workers from having a valid reason to carry cigarettes and lighters on site. Unhandled type: inline-plus-widget {"type":"inline-plus-widget"} “The rationale behind the measure is simple – we leave no room for workers to legitimately walk around the site with lighters and cigarettes,” he said. The Hong Kong Construction Association, along with eight other industry groups, earlier released guidelines to create a unified and clear framework to ensure that different types of work abide by the same set of principles under the new smoking ban at sites. Hui said authorities welcomed the guidelines and did not rule out turning applicable sections into statutory guidelines.