Investigation launched into fatal accident involving aeroplane maintenance worker falling from height

Skip to content Hong Kong authorities are investigating a fatal workplace accident involving a worker who fell from a height at the airport in Chek Lap Kok. Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company. Photo: HAECO. Police received a report from the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO) at around 8am on Monday that a worker had fallen from a six-metre platform while carrying out maintenance work on the exterior of an aircraft, local media reported. The 62-year-old worker was unconscious and sent to North Lantau Hospital, where he was confirmed dead. The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims (ARIAV) said in a Facebook post on Monday that staff had gone to the hospital and will provide necessary support to family members. North Lantau Hospital. Photo: Wikicommons. ARIAV said that, when working at height, workers should adhere to safety protocols including wearing a safety helmet, and that platforms should also be equipped with railings and other protective barriers. Those working on platforms that are power-operated should wear a full-body harness, the association added. Authorities said in a statement that the Labour Department is investigating the accident. According to its website, HAECO is an aircraft engineering and maintenance company based at the Hong Kong International Airport. It is under the Swire Group. Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps Make a one-off donation. Hillary Leung is a journalist at Hong Kong Free Press, where she reports on local politics and social issues, and assists with editing. Since joining in late 2021, she has covered the Covid-19 pandemic, political court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial, and challenges faced by minority communities. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hillary completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and sociology at the University of Hong Kong. She worked at TIME Magazine in 2019, where she wrote about Asia and overnight US news before turning her focus to the protests that began that summer. At Coconuts Hong Kong, she covered general news and wrote features, including about a Black Lives Matter march that drew controversy amid the local pro-democracy movement and two sisters who were born to a domestic worker and lived undocumented for 30 years in Hong Kong. More by Hillary Leung