Lawmaker calls for tougher crane inspection rules

Unionist lawmaker Lam Chun-sing on Wednesday called for tighter inspection rules for cranes after the collapse of a tower crane at a building site in Kwai Chung last month killed the operator. The chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions noted that right now, cranes are due for a check-up once a week. They are also subject to a thorough inspection once a year, along with a full examination, such as loading tests, once every four years. He said changes can be made so the inspections are more stringent. "For example, can there be a checking list for the weekly inspector, such that a problem must be reported for professionals to look into?" Lam said on RTHK's In the Chamber programme. "Qualified inspectors are engineers, but are all of those who conduct the checks very familiar with cranes? Do they need some training?" He also proposed having a thorough inspection every six months, instead of annually. The unionist noted that some guidelines covering other construction machines have not been reviewed for a decade or two, and it's high time to look into them. For example, he said currently some construction sites deploy general labourers as riggers because there are no specific requirements under labour laws and regulations. Lam said workers who help operate heavy machines should go through more training to strengthen safety awareness. Edited by Edmond Fong