Hong Kong orders scaffolding nets across city removed & tested for safety after deadly apartment blaze

In the wake of the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire, the Hong Kong government ordered on Dec. 3 for scaffolding nets to be removed on all buildings undergoing major repair works within three days.

More than 200 private buildings, and over 10 public housing and government buildings will be affected, Reuters reported.

Contractors must bear the costs of removing the netting.

For those external walls that had the nets installed, repair works must also cease, the government said in a press release.

The move is "to protect public safety and put residents' and businesses' minds at ease", in light of the latest police investigation into the fire that has claimed at least 159 lives.

The order came after suspected false safety documents for netting were found to be used at two housing estates in Hong Kong, The Standard reported.

The construction teams were accused of fraudulently claiming the nets have met the required standards for strength and flame resistance.

A manufacturer based in Shandong, China, was allegedly responsible for forging the documents, according to Hong Kong Free Press.

Likely cause of the fire

In Hong Kong, mesh nets are commonly placed over the bamboo scaffolding to prevent materials and debris from falling to the ground during construction or renovation.

The nets on the exterior of the Wang Fuk Court buildings, installed since renovations started in mid-July 2024, did not appear to be fireproof, Hong Kong authorities found.

The police believed that substandard netting and protective foam boards caused the rapid spread of the fire, Hong Kong's Secretary for Security Chris Tang said on Dec. 1, as reported by Hong Kong Free Press.

He added that seven out of 20 samples of the netting from the estate did not pass a fire safety test.

For possible safety violations, the police have to date arrested 15 people from various construction companies for suspected manslaughter, Reuters reported.

Six people from a fire service installation contractor were also arrested for suspected fraud.

New code of practice

The Hong Kong Buildings Department (BD) will issue a new code of practice in the following week, requiring all scaffold net materials to be sampled on site, the government said in its statement.

The nets can only be installed after they are tested and certified by designated laboratories to be compliant with relevant safety requirements.

As of Dec. 3, the BD has sent samples from 398 private buildings with scaffold nets installed for testing in batches.

Possible construction standstill

The process of removing, sampling, and testing the nets could take about 10 days, estimated Chau Sze Kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union.

During this time, workers engaged in exterior construction and repairs works "may face a temporary work stoppage and income loss," Chau said.

Nonetheless, he praised the government's move as "decisive and courageous", and said that the union supports the measure.

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Top images from lilkoko0123/Threads and Hong Kong Buildings Department's Facebook