THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG OSH5011EP ACCIDENT THEORIES AND ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION

SEPTEMBER 2011 STUDENT NAME: CHEUNG PAK MING JACKY STUDENT ID: 10451421

Content Introduction Objectives Discussion Problem Conclusion Recommendations P.3 P.6 P.8 P.15 P.17 P.18

Introduction
Our Company, Shui On Building and Construction Limited, Contract No, TC T 072, I am the Registered Safety Officer and there is an accident happened on 14 August 2011 afternoon. I need to do the Accident Investigation Report, submit Form 2 to Labour Department within 7 days and follow up action. On 14 August 2011, in the afternoon around 2 to 3 oclock, there was an accident happened in control room, 2/F, Ocean Shopping Centre, three workers were assigned to carry out indoor demolition and associated works in the vacant Ocean Shopping Centre. The tasks of this job was to demolition of existing finishes and fixtures at the unit which including pull down all brick/ wooden partition walls except structural walls. In the morning of accident, the deceaseds co-workers carried out the demolition of the control room partition wall with an oval opening. In the afternoon, the three workers continued to clear debris accumulated on the floor. While the deceased was working near a pipe duct, a section of brickwork panel fell from the ceiling and struck the deceased. He was seriously injured and died in the hospital at around 6 to 7 oclock.

Investigation Findings Contract No. Project : TC T 072 : Indoor demolition and associated works in a vacant Ocean Shopping Centre Sun Hung Kai Property Limited Near the entry of the control room P2286953(BS) Shui On Building Contractors Ltd. Cheung Ho Contractors Ltd.

Landlord Location Work Order No. Main Contractor Employer of Deceased Name of

: : : : :

the

Chung Kwok Leung

Deceased Property Damaged : NIL Date of Accident : 14 August 2011 (Sunday) Time of Accident : 2:30 (approximately) Weather : Clear Sky After the accident, our Registered Safety Officer, Mr. Jacky Cheung arrived the scene and conducted an investigation on this accident. And took the site photos and record the two workers, Mr. Cheung and Mr. Chan, reports. 1. From the two workers report, we found a deceased Safety Helmet on the ground which about 1 metre near him. 2. Since the ex-occupier, Toy R Us Company Limited has moved away some months ago. The layout of the shop has changed, Cheung Ho Contractor Limited have assigned to pull down all brick/ wooden partition walls except structural walls, however we found that the wall of the accident happened is a structural

wall, there may be several renovation of the shopping centre that make the layout drawings is outdated. 3. Also, there is Fire Service Installation in close proximity to walls that had to be pulled down, demolition work was temporarily suspended pending the removal of the Fire Service Installation by another contractor. After removal of the Fire Service Installation, all sprinklers and smoke detectors have removed, and it is found that some of the support of the ceiling is missing after the removal of the Fire Service installation. It may be convenience by the former workers to remove the sprinklers and smoke detectors so they cut some of the support of the ceilings. 4. In the control room, the wall is about 4 metres in width and 6 metres in height and 0.2 metres thick and with the oval opening about 2 metres high and 1 metres wide. And in the scene, we found that the wall is flat at the bottom, from experience, the workers core the bottom in horizontally, then they pull the whole wall from one side to another side, this method is fast to remove the wall, but this is a danger since the wall is 6X4X0.2m3 which is easily to make an accident. Then the support of ceiling becomes weak. 5. In the afternoon, the three workers continued to clear debris accumulated on the floor. While the deceased is working near a pipe duct, a section of brickwork

panel fell from the ceiling and struck the deceased. He was seriously injured and died in the hospital later. And from Mr. Chan report, the deceased, Mr. Chung Kowk Leung, was not wear safety helmet.

Causes of accident 1. 2. 3. The main reason is the deceased does not wear safety helmet. They use wrong method to remove the wall. The former Fire Services Installation worker use wrong method to remove the sprinkler and smoke detector. 4. The Landlord, Sun Hung Kai Property Limited, should provide a latest layout of the shopping centre to them.

Recommendations 1. Ensure all new workers to attend the safety induction training and specific training given by his employer before anticipated site activity. 2. To strengthen the safety awareness of workers by safety toolbox training and specific training regularly and periodically to aware workers on carried out such high level demolition activity. 3. To be discussed the cause of accident and the preventive measures during toolbox talk training. 4. Safety representatives of subcontractors have to remind their employees from time to time the safety of all operations employed with demolition of a wall. 5. Before activity begins, a detailed risk assessment report should be done.

Legislation Applicable

Conclusion

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Appendices Form 2

11

Witness Statement

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The Accident Drawing

Control Room

Safety helmet Deceased

Pipe duct

Door

Mr Chan

4X6X0.2 wall

Mr Cheung

The layout of the control room

13