Hong Kong proposes smoking ban on all building sites after deadly fire

HONG KONG: The government introduced legislative amendments on Tuesday to ban smoking on all construction sites, after a massive fire at a housing complex killed 168 people last year.

The city's deadliest blaze in decades ripped through seven of the eight apartment blocks at the Wang Fuk Court complex in northern Hong Kong in November.

The estate was undergoing repair works at the time, and a panel investigating the inferno heard in March that a likely cause was construction workers smoking on the scaffolding.

Investigators were also presented with evidence that residents had complained many times about workers smoking, but that their concerns had gone unaddressed.

The amendments would "impose clear legal obligations on principal contractors of construction works, subcontractors and any persons to strictly prohibit smoking in all construction sites", the government said in a statement on Tuesday.

This was "with a view to reducing fire risks and safeguarding the safety of workers and the public", it said.

The amendments would designate construction sites as no-smoking areas and require occupational safety officers under the labour department to enforce the ban.

The officers would be able to issue a fixed fine of HK$3,000 (US$380) to any person found smoking on a construction site.

Contractors and subcontractors who fail to take "all reasonable steps" to prevent smoking would also be liable on conviction to a maximum fine of HK$400,000 (US$51,000).

The government said in its statement it looked forward to the legislative council's "support for early passage" of the amendments.