Workers in different parts of Hong Kong on Thursday began taking down mesh netting at buildings undergoing major renovation works.

On Wednesday night, the government ordered the removal of all mesh netting by Saturday following the Tai Po inferno, citing public safety and people's concerns.

At Ching Lai Court, a subsidised housing estate in Mei Foo, some residents said renovation work there was almost complete, but they were concerned about the netting's safety.

A resident did note that, unlike at Wang Fuk Court, workers used tape rather than styrofoam boards to seal the windows at the blocks.

"Of course we're worried, because we don't know whether the netting is safe," a man told RTHK.

"We've been told that certification was given to those who bought the netting, but of course we weren't told whether or not samples of the materials had been taken for lab tests."

A woman said after the Tai Po fire, she was worried the certification might not be genuine, saying tests have just been commissioned recently.

She said she had seen cigarette butts left in the planting space outside her flat, and she had reported these cases to the building's management.

The woman said residents just have to be more proactive when it comes to fire prevention.

Another resident, meanwhile, said the work cost each household less than HK$100,000.

He expressed concern contractors would ask residents to pay extra for the netting's removal.