Safety documents for Hong Kong construction sites ‘should require e-signatures'
Earlier this week, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) uncovered subcontractors allegedly offering bribes to supervisors to turn a blind eye towards subpar steel reinforcement works at a residential project handled by real estate giant CK Asset Holdings.
Industry veterans on Saturday stressed that the alleged scandal was unacceptable but was likely an isolated incident.
Authorities said they found rebar in the concrete of all six buildings at the site failed to comply with approved building plans as it was either missing, displaced, loosely arranged or thinner than required, missing, displaced or loosely arranged.
The city's anti-corruption agency also alleged that site supervisors had accepted bribes from a subcontractor in exchange for lenient oversight of subpar construction practices intended to cuts costs and maximise profit.
Hong Kong Construction Association vice-president Stephen Lee on Saturday said strict law enforcement was necessary to combat what he called an individual case.
He said the industry should use technology to combat fraud and suggest such efforts target professionals who pre-signed safety documents without any thorough on-site checks.
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