Presently, all capital works with a contract sum exceeding HKD30 million have fully implemented the Smart Site Safety System (4S). However, the adoption of 4S at private worksites remains relatively low. In efforts to foster wider uptake of the safety system in the industry, the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Construction Industry Council (CIC) jointly launched the 4S Labelling Scheme in May 2024. A series of relevant initiatives will be rolled out as well.
It is expected that approximately 500 construction sites of public and private works—constituting over 60 per cent of the total number of sites to date—will participate in the scheme. The 4S labels will be issued to the first batch of about 100 sites in July 2024, while the approvals will be largely completed by the end of the same year.
The government has also subsidised private works projects to widely adopt 4S through the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund (CITF). The amount of funding available to each applicant for 4S has been increased from HKD6 million to HKD7.5 million since 1 April 2023. Under the new initiative, its coverage will be extended to relevant additional expenses arising from the adoption of 4S. Besides, the DEVB and CIC have launched packages of 4S products for different types of private projects to further promote the safety system.
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Meanwhile, the Buildings Department (BD) will introduce mandatory measures under the Buildings Ordinance starting from 1 July 2024. For example, registered contractors are required to adopt 4S alert systems for building works with estimated cost exceeding HKD30 million and involving the use of mobile plants and tower cranes.
For details of the scheme, please refer to the CIC’s website. —Construction+ Online
Source: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
