My letter towards the bottom of the letters yesterday. Other Letters and a related video below:
From Peter Cookson:The city is in grief following one of the worst construction disasters in its modern history. When the genuine sorrow and heartbreak have settled, we need to examine precisely what went wrong and why.
The Hong Kong Construction Industry Council has a supposed stance that prioritises construction safety, with a stated vision of "Zero Accidents on Construction Sites". This is said to be achieved through promoting a safety culture. In fact, 2024 was declared the "Year of Construction Safety" and in March this year, the CIC announced that it was allocating HK$220 million to help promote construction safety....
The Hong Kong Construction Industry Council has a supposed stance that prioritises construction safety, with a stated vision of "Zero Accidents on Construction Sites". This is said to be achieved through promoting a safety culture. In fact, 2024 was declared the "Year of Construction Safety" and in March this year, the CIC announced that it was allocating HK$220 million to help promote construction safety....
While bamboo scaffolding has been used for decades with only a small number of incidents, it is common knowledge that flammable mesh netting, and waterproof tarpaulin together with foam boards for window sealants is collectively a disaster waiting to happen in terms of fire spread.
No doubt ongoing investigations will identify the most culpable, but this needs to go beyond mere words and good intentions. We need to identify the inconsistencies and apparent loopholes that continue to plague the achievement of construction safety.
If this disaster is to achieve anything from its terrible outcome, it requires an overhaul of Hong Kong’s construction tender procedures to include a company’s track record, and thereafter a consistent level of site inspection and immediate follow-up.
Dr Peter Cookson Smith, past president, Hong Kong Institute of Planners and past president, Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design
No doubt ongoing investigations will identify the most culpable, but this needs to go beyond mere words and good intentions. We need to identify the inconsistencies and apparent loopholes that continue to plague the achievement of construction safety.
If this disaster is to achieve anything from its terrible outcome, it requires an overhaul of Hong Kong’s construction tender procedures to include a company’s track record, and thereafter a consistent level of site inspection and immediate follow-up.
Dr Peter Cookson Smith, past president, Hong Kong Institute of Planners and past president, Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design
From Peter Forsythe:
Can our Chief Executive John Lee assure we the people of Hong Kong that there will be a full, independent, transparent enquiry into the causes of the Wang Fuk Court fires?
We need such assurance.
Especially in the wake of the arrest of a person who opened a petition for just such an enquiry. He was charged, I believe, with "sedition", which is both silly and scary. Silly because it's clearly not sedition. And scary because it tries to chill voices seeking open understanding of such tragic events.We all, we the residents of Hong Kong, just want to find out what happened, why it happened, and who was responsible. We need to know this for the very practical reason that the many refurbishment projects across our city can learn from such a horrific tragedy.
We need such assurance.
Especially in the wake of the arrest of a person who opened a petition for just such an enquiry. He was charged, I believe, with "sedition", which is both silly and scary. Silly because it's clearly not sedition. And scary because it tries to chill voices seeking open understanding of such tragic events.We all, we the residents of Hong Kong, just want to find out what happened, why it happened, and who was responsible. We need to know this for the very practical reason that the many refurbishment projects across our city can learn from such a horrific tragedy.
I am on the Renovation Committee of a soon-to-be commenced refurbishment of our own village. I would hate to think that we might repeat the mistakes of Wang Fuk Court, because our government failed to hold an open and frank enquiry.
Peter Forsythe, Discovery Bay
Video: “Game Over. The Secret is Out”
