Contractor fined 38,000 for violating safety rules after Galaxy construction site accident
The Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) announced yesterday that four workers died in two fatal workplace accidents – both construction projects – due to contractors’ violations of the city’s occupational health and safety rules last year.
The two fatal accidents last year comprised one at the Galaxy Macau Phase 3 construction site in March, which killed three workers and a sewage interception project near Ocean Gardens last month, which killed one worker.
The bureau hosted a press conference yesterday to brief the media about the statistics in the areas of workplace health and safety, as well as workplace inspections. The press conference was held at the bureau’s offices in Areia Preta district.
Addressing the press conference, Lam Iok Cheong, who heads the bureau’s Occupational Health and Safety Department, said that her bureau ordered 15 work suspension notices last year, six of which were issued after the occurrence of work accidents, while nine were issued to the contractors after DSAL officials found a “serious” lack of safety measures on construction sites.
Lam also said that her bureau fined construction contractors a total of 560,000 patacas last year, involving 97 cases, for violating occupational health and safety rules on construction sites.
According to Lam, two workers died in two workplace accidents in 2019, while five workers died in five workplace accidents in 2018.
In the accident at the Galaxy Macau Phase 3 construction site, which occurred on March 24, three workers died and four were injured. The seven male construction workers from the mainland were clearing debris in a lift shaft when part of the scaffolding there suddenly collapsed, trapping the workers.
In the sewage interception project’s accident in Avenida dos Jogos da Ásia Oriental, which occurred on December 8, a male worker from the mainland died after being covered by falling soil and rocks when he was working in a 2.5-metre-deep hole on the site. The victim was working 2.5 metres underneath the road surface where he was shoring the two sides with wooden boards. Suddenly, soil and rocks fell from one side and covered the victim.
According to Lam, the findings of an investigation into the accident at the Galaxy Macau Phase 3 construction site show that the collapse was due to the overloaded scaffolding, adding that therefore her bureau fined the contractor 38,000 patacas for violating occupational health and safety rules.
Lam also said that the investigation into the sewage interception project’s accident is still ongoing. However, she said that the preliminary findings of the investigation show that the accident was also due to the contractor having violated occupational health and safety rules.
Lam also said that while the number of work accidents each year has been decreasing over the past several years thanks to increased awareness of occupational health and safety, her bureau will not let its guard down in continuing with its duty to ensure the city’s workplace safety, considering that accidents on construction sites could result in deaths.
Lam also said that the decrease in the number of work accidents in the construction sector last year was possibly due to the fact that many projects were suspended early last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
