The Development Bureau today said it issued a notification to the contractor involved in a fatal industrial incident yesterday at a non-governmental construction site in Chek Lap Kok to suspend it from tendering for public works contracts in the buildings category with immediate effect pursuant to the regulating regime.
The bureau today said that the contractor involved was under the List of Approved Contractors for Public Works. Being the party to procure services for public works, it added that it attaches great importance to the site safety performance of all construction sites under the purview of contractors on the list.
The contractor has to conduct an independent safety audit to review its safety management system, the bureau explained.
Taking cognisance of the outcome of the independent safety audit, the bureau pointed out that the contractor is required to submit an improvement action plan and implement improvement measures, with a view to demonstrating that it has an effective safety management system before the lifting of the suspension from tendering can be considered.
The suspension from tendering is not only confined to future tender exercises, but is also applicable to tender exercises with procedures initiated but not concluded.
The Labour Department is investigating the industrial incident and will handle it in accordance with the law.
Subject to the investigation findings, the bureau may impose further regulating actions on the contractor later on, including extension of the period of suspension from tendering for public works contracts and even removal from the list.