A 29-year-old woman suffered third-degree burns to her face and both hands while stage equipment was being dismantled backstage at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on October 19. She was reported to be in intensive care.
The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department said available information showed she was not a registered electrical worker. Its preliminary assessment was that she may have touched a live part of a fixed electrical installation during the work, causing a short circuit and flashover.
The department said a registered electrical contractor employed by the troupe renting the stage was removing the installation. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said the woman was an outsourced employee of a troupe that had rented the venue, and that the centre’s operation was unaffected. The cause and whether the Electricity Ordinance was breached remain under investigation.
The electrical department said the installation was damaged and its power supply had been cut off. It issued an improvement notice to the installation’s owner, requiring the owner to arrange an inspection and repairs by a registered electrical contractor.