The Hong Kong government has unveiled its proposal for a complete ban on smoking on construction sites, seeking to impose hefty fines and possible jail time on workers and contractors.
Smoking regulations, which are currently site-specific based on fire risk assessments, will be changed to cover all construction sites, both indoor and outdoor areas, the Bureau of Labor and Welfare and the Department of Labour. said in a document submitted to the Legislative Council.
“Since the tragic fire that occurred in Tai Po in November 2025, there has been (a) strong community consensus to implement a comprehensive smoking ban on construction sites,” labor authorities said.
The changes, which will be presented to the Legislature’s workforce panel on Monday, “could mitigate the fire hazard associated with smoking on construction sites and protect people on construction sites from exposure to secondhand smoke,” authorities said.
Under the proposed regulations, workers caught smoking on construction sites will be given a fixed fine of HK$3,000.
The amended law will also place “clear legal obligations” on contractors to take all reasonable steps to ensure that no person smokes or lights a smoking product on a construction site.
A contractor who violates this provision may face a maximum fine of HK$400,000.
In “serious circumstances”, such as when a worker smokes in the vicinity of highly flammable substances that pose “a catastrophic fire hazard”, the government will consider prosecuting the owner or employee involved under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance
Under the ordinance, an owner convicted of a criminal offense is liable to a fine of HK$3 million, while an employee is liable to a fine of HK$150,000, with both facing six months in prison.
The Labor Department is “working at full speed” to amend the legislation and introduce legislative amendments to the LegCo for discussion by mid-2026, the government said.
Smoking ‘most likely’ cause
In January, in the wake of the deadly fire, said Labor Minister Chris Sun the government had begun work on a legislative proposal for a comprehensive ban on smoking on construction sites.
Wang Fuk Court, a government-subsidized housing estate in Tai Po, was undergoing a large-scale renovation when a fire broke out in late November, killing 168 people and displacing thousands of residents.
The fatal fire was “most likely” caused by smoking, a public inquiry was heard last week.
“An inter-departmental investigation team has concluded that it is highly likely that someone lit a cigarette, which ignited flammable materials …,” Victor Dawes, lead counsel for the independent committee tasked with investigating the fire, said on Thursday.
A video played at the hearing showed workers smoking on a roof at Wang Fuk Court last November. Dawes also said residents had been reporting the issue to contractors and authorities for some time, to no avail.
