The days of seeing Hong Kong’s towering skyscrapers covered by bamboo scaffolding may soon be over. This comes after news that authorities have said that contractors should ensure that at least half of the construction framework used in public development projects are made of metal. However, the measure will not apply to already approved operations.
Construction Safety Concerns
According to media reports, the Chairman of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Bamboo Scaffolding Workers Union Ho Ping-tak received the order from the Development Bureau to make the switch earlier this week, but gave no indication about when the measure will come into effect. Ho said that current projects will not be affected, but there is no information on whether the new rules will apply to private initiatives.
The move is part of the government’s efforts to improve safety in the construction industry after the Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety was revised last year. Official records show that more than 20 workers in Hong Kong have been killed in bamboo-scaffolding related accidents since 2018. In addition, 11 workers were injured on a construction site in Kai Tak in January this year after a bamboo scaffold collapsed.
Why Hong Kong Still Relies on Bamboo Scaffolding
Hong Kong is one of the last major cities in the word that continues to use bamboo scaffolding in construction as metal is the norm in other metropolises. The material is favoured because it’s lightweight, flexible, can be sourced from Mainland China, and is relatively easy to set up. In fact, about 80% of ongoing projects in the territory continue to use bamboo, with the remaining 20% opting for metal. Ho added that while bamboo can be easily cut on-site, metal scaffolding is made of prefabricated components that need to be levelled and welded, requiring larger teams and more time on projects.
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