Authorties in Hong Kong have suspended a third building project in the city after it was discovered that plastic sheeting was used in their maintenance work.
The Housing Bureau said its Independent Checking Unit found that plastic sheeting was used to cover the windows in the maintenance project at Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po and ordered the contractor to immediately remove the material.
“For the sake of prudence, the ICU has ordered the temporary suspension of the works and requested the contractor to conduct an independent safety audit to review their safety management system,” the bureau said, adding that it was seeking advice on whether to pursue charges.
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The registered contractor should also submit an improvement plan and implement improvement measures to show that they have an effective safety management system in place before the resumption of work can be considered, the bureau said.
The bureau is conducting safety checks after a massive fire killed at least 146 residents at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Tai Po, which was undergoing renovation.
The deadly blaze is believed to have originated on the lower-floor mesh netting of Wang Cheong House - one of the seven charred buildings at the estate - and spread rapidly due to the highly flammable styrofoam attached to the windows.
On Saturday, the Building Department said it suspended two private building projects in Central and North Point after plastic sheeting was used in their maintenance work.
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The department also suspended 28 other projects that were managed by Prestige Construction & Engineering Co Ltd, the contractor at Wang Fuk Court.
"The No. 5 alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po exposed serious deficiencies of PC&E in site safety management, including the extensive use of foam boards to block up windows during building repairs," the department said.
As of Sunday, 319 buildings undergoing external wall maintenance have been inspected and samples were taken for testing from buildings that had scaffold nets.
