Burst
Written by: Peng Kaixin Chen Nuoxi
2021-01-22 12:00
Last update date: 2021-01-22 12:00
The tragedy of a cleaner fell into a garbage chute in Shan King Village, Tuen Mun. This morning (22nd), staff of the Housing Department visited the scene. The Director General of the Industrial Injury Rights Association (Work Rights Association) Xiao Qianwen also came to the scene to understand the situation.
She criticized the repeated occurrence of similar incidents. The design of garbage chutes in old housing estates has always been problematic, which puts cleaners in crisis when they dispose of garbage.
A cleaner union pointed out that after a similar incident in Ma On Shan in 2017, the Housing Department carried out garbage chute improvement works. However, it was "a temporary solution but not a permanent solution." It is recommended to collect building garbage by "pushing buckets into the lift" method, which is the safest and most An efficient way to take out garbage.
This morning, Xiao Qianwen, director general of the Workers' Rights Association, went to the garbage chute in Shanjing Village to find out, but the garbage room was locked. Residents revealed to her that the garbage from each household is usually placed at the entrance of the unit or in the trash can in the lobby on each floor. After collecting, the cleaner pushes to the garbage room on the same floor and throws a bag of garbage from the slot to the underground garbage room.
Xiao Qianwen said that he was angry at the accident, "How about accidents happen again and again, again and again? It must be a design problem."
She believes that the garbage room in Mountain View Village is the same as the old public housing. There is a notch in the garbage room and the garbage chute is only knee-high. When the cleaner puts bags of garbage into the chute, this design makes workers have difficulties during work. , Especially when the garbage chute is blocked, when the worker needs to use his tools or force to push the garbage into the chute, "make the canal fall into the chute due to its weightlessness."
Xiao said that at this stage it is impossible to know if there is any place in the garbage room where workers can buckle their seat belts.
The reporter went to the garbage chutes on other floors and found that the concrete pits in the chutes only reached the calves, and seat belts were not installed.
However, notices were posted on the trough to remind workers that "it is strictly forbidden to step on, kneel, sit sideways and probe into the garbage trough ramp."
The reporter inspected the garbage chutes of other floors and the gravel positions only reached the calf
Tragedies have occurred repeatedly, and Xiao Qianwen urged the Housing Department to review the current situation of garbage houses in public housing estates, so that similar incidents would not happen again.
At the same time, rigorous training should be provided to cleaners so that workers should not underestimate safety and feel that taking out garbage is a job without skills.
Cleaning companies should also provide safety belts to cleaning workers and require them to wear safety belts when they use the garbage chute to take out garbage.
Union urges the use of lifts to collect building rubbish
Hu Meilian, director-general of the Clean Workers Union, said that she regretted the incident.
She revealed that after the incident in which a cleaner fell into a garbage chute in Ma On Shan in 2017, the Housing Department proposed improvement measures to narrow the garbage chute on each floor, but this was "a temporary solution rather than a permanent cure."
Because the existing garbage chutes in public housing estates are of "straight-down" design, there are flaws in the design. When a bag of garbage is thrown into the chute, the garbage can easily get stuck in the middle and plug the pipe.
Therefore, the garbage chute is immediately narrowed. When there is a blockage in the garbage chute, workers still need to probe and lean over to check the blockage of the chute, and then use water or tools to deal with it.
Wu Meilian pointed out that the labor union has been recommending to the Housing Department for many years to collect garbage from buildings by "pushing buckets into the elevator." This approach can be carried out during non-peak designated hours and requisitioning a elevator to empty the garbage. However, the Housing Department refused to consider this option. , "Many private estates are doing it. Why don't you understand public housing? The Housing Department is not serious about solving the problem."
Du Zhenhao said that the new "drawer-type" garbage chute is relatively safe and prevents cleaners from falling into the chute. However, the function is contradictory and it is difficult for workers to put garbage into the chute.
(Respondents provide pictures)
Du Zhenhao, Director-General of the Cleaning Service Trade Union, also said that the Housing Department has carried out garbage chute improvement projects after 2017. This time the tragedy of similar cleaners falling into the garbage chute in Shanjing Village has happened again. It is necessary to know whether the garbage chute of Shanjing Village is designed. The problem is that the department has not yet carried out the garbage chute improvement project in Shanshan Village.
Du Zhenhao also stated that there are different modifications in the improvement project, some just narrow the notches, and some are changed to new "drawer-type" garbage chutes.
The "drawer type" is relatively safe and prevents cleaners from falling into the tank, but it is contradictory in function. "When your notches are thinner, workers will be more inefficient to take out the garbage, because the garbage has to be kept to a good size and buried at the same time. It's so large and long-sized garbage can't be thrown away." The union believes that the safe and efficient way is to transport it underground by elevator.
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At about 0:17 am today (22nd), the police received a report from an employee in the underground garbage room of Jingle Building, Shanshan Village, stating that a male worker was found fainting in one of the garbage bins, unconscious.
The ambulancemen rushed to the report and immediately rushed the victim to Tuen Mun Hospital. After arriving at the hospital, he died.
After preliminary investigation by the police, it was suspected that Guan Nan fell into the garbage chute from the top floor of the 35th floor and flew to the ground garbage room. The case was classified as an "industrial accident" and the cause of the tragedy is being investigated.
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