Reducing Construction Fall Accidents in the Maintenance Sector: An Industry-Based Survey from Hong Kong

Abstract

The construction industry was identified as one of the most hazardous industries internationally. Of all the construction-related injuries, falls are the leading category of fatal accidents. This paper provides a summary of recommendations on preventing fall accidents in building repair and maintenance works from a collaborative research between the academia and the construction industry of Hong Kong. The research approaches of case study analyses, structured interviews, focus group meetings and questionnaire surveys were adopted. Eleven key areas were identified from the research for further improvement, including: 1) Safety education and training for external repair and maintenance works; 2) Refining the design of truss-out scaffold; 3) Continuous training for workers; 4) Pay-for-safety system; 5) Design for safety; 6) Inspection and monitoring; 7) Safety messages and publicity to flat owners and tenants; 8) Insurance for maintenance works; 9) Compulsory safety training for working at height; 10) Mandatory licensing system for minor works workers; and 11) Improve legal and regulatory framework.