A dumper truck driver died on Thursday after being pinned between his vehicle and an excavator.

The accident happened at around 9am at a construction site in the Highland Park housing estate in Lai King.

The police are investigating the accident.

Siu Sin-man, a representative of the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, said it's believed that the 42-year-old driver was standing behind his vehicle when a moving part of the excavator pushed him down.

Siu stressed the need for machinery to be equipped with sensors that stop operation in emergencies.

Chau Sze-kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union, noted a recent increase in industrial accidents and urged site managers to make worker safety a priority.

"We have seen a lot of accidents in the past because sites were not well managed and projects were rushed. Safety was ignored because of negligence or deadlines. We urge employers and contractors to always make safety a priority, no matter how urgent the project," he said.

The Labour Department said it is highly concerned about the accident and expressed its deepest sympathy to the man’s family.

The department said it had deployed staff to conduct on-site investigations as well as issuing suspension notices to the contractors involved.

"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," the department said in a statement.
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Last updated: 2024-07-25 HKT 20:50