The Labour Department on Tuesday launched an investigation into the death of a worker at a construction site on Anderson Road, close to the scene of a deadly crane collapse last September.

The man fell from the 15th floor of a building under construction at about 10.30am when clearing debris at the site of one of the many housing projects forging ahead on what was the Anderson Road Quarry, above Sau Mau Ping.

He was found on the first floor and rushed to nearby United Christian Hospital, where he was later declared dead.

The Labour Department said it ordered the contractor to stop any work near the outside of the buildings on the site.

"The contractor cannot resume the work process until the Labour Department is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken," a department spokesman said.

"We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation."

Earlier this month, the department launched more than 60 prosecutions under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance and other laws against a contractor, subcontractors and individuals alleged to be responsible for the collapse of a construction crane at an Anderson Road building site last September.

Three workers were killed and six were injured when the tower crane crashed down on top of several temporary site offices.

After a half-year investigation of one of Hong Kong's most serious industrial accidents in recent years, officials found that a welded joint on the base of the crane had been torn, causing it to collapse.