Hong Kong Scaffolding Crisis: New Nets to Arrive Next Week

Hong Kong construction firms could resume stalled projects as early as next week. This follows a citywide safety order that removed scaffolding nets from hundreds of buildings. The order came after a deadly fire in Tai Po. It required the removal of the nets, which are made of plastic, from around 420 buildings for safety checks. The Construction Industry Council now says new, compliant nets are coming. The industry body plans to buy 50,000 nets at a cost of HK$170 (US$21.80) each. Executive director Albert Cheng Ting-ning said the first 12,000 nets should be ready by January 15. This will allow contractors to restart renovation work that has been paused across the city.