The number of deaths on Hong Kong's construction sites is unacceptable and despite repeated promises to improve safety over the years, the tragedies continue.
One worker was crushed to death this month, two sewer workers died in April after apparently inhaling toxic fumes and two women were killed in February when scaffolding collapsed.
With over 3,000 accidents and 20 deaths in the construction industry last year, solutions are needed.
When an accident occurs, the usual pattern repeats: work is halted, investigations are launched and, in some cases, fines are imposed.
But that alone is not enough: introducing a new labeling system for construction sites that employs technology aimed at improving safety is a step in the right direction.
Sites that implement the smart site safety system, launched by the Development Authority and the Construction Industry Council, will be accredited.
Major public projects are already required to install the technology, but adoption rates in the private sector have been disappointing despite subsidies: 500 sites, or 60 percent, are expected to join the scheme by the end of this year.
The use of this technology could be a breakthrough in safety efforts, monitoring high-risk activities and identifying hazards by analysing data and issuing alerts through a centralised control system.
Workers wear sensors and the system can detect if they have heat stroke, are near heavy machinery or are not wearing safety gear. Some contractors are also using apps to monitor worker safety.
Use of such devices should become standard practice.
But technology should not be seen as a panacea: success depends on how effectively it is used.
There remains a need to change the culture on construction sites, where deadlines take precedence over safety and rules are often ignored.
Other measures have also been taken, with the maximum penalties for serious violations being increased last year to a HK$10 million (US$1.3 million) fine and two years' prison.
New guidelines aimed at protecting workers working in confined spaces are being developed.
However, accidents continue to occur, and every effort must be made to ensure worker safety through technology and other means.
