Hong Kong recorded fewer industrial accidents but sharply more fatal cases in the first half of 2026, according to figures in a Labour and Welfare Bureau paper submitted to the Legislative Council. There were 2,982 accidents, down 2.8% from the same period a year earlier, but 16 were fatal — 11 more than in the first half of 2025.
The accident rate also fell, from 10.5 to 10.3 per 1,000 workers, a 1.3% decrease. The most common types of accident were slips, trips or falls on the same level, and injuries while lifting or carrying objects.
Construction accounted for about 35% of all accidents, with 1,098 cases, 4.8% fewer than a year earlier. Yet 15 of the 16 fatal cases involved the sector; the other was in electricity, gas and waste management.
Falls from height were the largest category among the 15 fatal construction accidents, with six cases. Three involved moving objects and three involved falling objects; two people were trapped in or between objects, and one was trapped by a collapsing or overturning object. Of the six fatal falls, three involved ladders, while the others involved bamboo scaffolding, metal scaffolding and a work platform.
Catering services had the highest accident count among the industries reported: 1,402 cases, up 3.0% from 1,361 a year earlier. Its accident rate rose too, from 12.5 to 12.9 per 1,000 workers, an increase of 3.3%.