An accident at a construction site in Cotai has claimed the life of a 43-year-old non-resident worker from mainland China, the Judiciary Police announced in a short statement on Saturday.

The accident occurred at the Studio City Phase 2 construction site last Friday evening when a group of workers was adjusting the position of a frame on the 39th floor of the building.

According to preliminary investigations, the crane moved unexpectedly, tilting to the front and causing the metal bracket (load) to crush the worker from behind.

In a separate statement, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) said that staff had been deployed to the site to investigate the cause of the accident.

Although the final report is not yet available, the DSAL noted that such machinery “must be operated by qualified personnel to ensure that the site where the crane is placed has sufficient resistance and stability and can support the weight of the crane and the cargo load.” The bureau added that “legal requirements and related safety rules must be carefully observed to prevent similar accidents from happening again.”

The DSAL also noted that, if it is found during inspections that any situation constitutes a serious safety hazard, “it will immediately order the work to cease, and call on the contractors and staff to fix the problem.” Only after that can work resume.

Cranepedia’s Comments

I don’t see the crane boom in the picture so it is hard to determine if it is a mobile crane or a tower crane that they are using for the lift. While looking at the picture, it also seems that the lifting gears has been dislodged, not sure if the cause was due to sudden crane movement or improper seecuring of the load.