02.08.2007

Crane operators face safety courses

Tower crane operators in Hong Kong are to attend courses to improve safety at construction sites following last month's fatal accident in Causeway Bay, in which two workers were killed and five others injured.

They will be put through a two-day training session introduced by the Construction Industry Training Authority from the end of this month.

"We are still unable to determine how the accident happened, but we cannot afford to sit back and wait for the investigation report before strengthening safety standards," said Conrad Wong Tin-cheung, president of the Hong Kong Construction Association.

Wong said that 80 crane drivers should complete the course by the end of September, with a further 200 doing so within the next three months.

The association anticipates that several thousand workers involved in crane rigging and operation will complete training schemes by next spring.

Operators completing courses will qualify for "silver card" status, indicating that they are “highly skilled”. The courses will be sponsored by employers and the Hong Kong Construction Association.

Property developers and contractors will be urged to restrict recruitment to those who have completed the "silver card" courses for tower crane works, said Wong.

The industry also plans to develop a more comprehensive guide to best practice and launch an overall review of existing tower crane operational procedures.

The Hong Kong Labour Department has said that a full report on the cause of the accident will be ready within the next four months.

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