2 Hong Kong contractors fined HK$352,000 in whole after pleading responsible to expenses tied to Mirror live performance accidents

Two contractors have been fined a complete of HK$352,000 (US$45,085) over two incidents at a multi-night run of concert events by Cantopop boy band Mirror in Hong Kong final 12 months that resulted in accidents to a few dancers, together with one who was left paralysed from the neck down.

A number of consultants had been cited in a prosecution abstract introduced at Kowloon Metropolis Courtroom on Wednesday as saying the businesses’ mismanagement created dangers to the dancers employed to carry out with the band on the Hong Kong Coliseum.

Throughout a rehearsal on the primary day of the live performance on July 25 final 12 months, an elevating platform didn’t ascend to the stage as anticipated, inflicting performer Zisac Regulation Tak-chi to fall two to a few meters. He sustained chest and knee accidents and sprained his neck.

On July 28, a four-by-four-metre (13-by-13-foot) display screen suspended from a gantry above the stage plunged to the bottom, hitting performers Chang Tsz-fung and Mo Li Kai-yin. Li suffered extreme spinal accidents, dropping using his limbs.

The 2 firms concerned had been Studiodanz, answerable for the stage and dancers, and Engineering Influence, which was employed to hold out the engineering work.

The previous was fined HK$132,000 and the latter HK$220,000 after they pleaded responsible to 5 and 4 expenses respectively at Kowloon Metropolis Courtroom.

The costs included failing to make sure staff’ security, failing to supply secure vegetation or substances on the premises and failing to take out insurance coverage insurance policies for workers.

“Because the occupier of the premises the place the working system was saved, [Engineering Impact] failed to make sure that the working system was, so far as moderately practicable, secure and didn’t pose a well being threat,” the abstract stated.

“Because the employer of 24 dancers … [Studiodanz] failed to make sure the protection and well being of the dancers working within the Hong Kong Coliseum so far as moderately practicable.”

Hong Kong Mirror live performance accident ‘avoidable, shouldn’t have occurred’

The problems cited included use of a poor-quality body to hold the large display screen and a requirement that dancers function pyrotechnic units on stage themselves.

Appearing Principal Justice of the Peace Veronica Heung Shuk-han adjourned a case involving six expenses towards Engineering Influence’s subcontractor, Hip Hing Loong Stage Engineering, to January 17.

Li’s father earlier this month stated he was capable of communicate, chew and swallow usually after “proactively facilitating the aggressive therapy on daily basis”, though he can not transfer unaided. He stays in hospital.

The courtroom heard that 24 performers signed with Studiodanz to work as dancers for the string of exhibits.

The courtroom additionally heard that Studiodanz solely gave transient directions to the dancers and required they deal with pyrotechnic units manually with out offering them with an indication. The corporate had additionally didn’t take out an insurance coverage coverage for its dancers and report their accidents to authorities in a well timed method, the courtroom heard.

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The abstract towards Engineering Influence and Hip Hing Loong Stage Engineering stated that personnel answerable for monitoring the display screen set up relied on unaided imaginative and prescient to find out whether or not the work was carried out accurately.

Knowledgeable evaluation identified that the body was of poor high quality, overloaded and lacked a security chain, leading to steel fatigue.

The Labour Division additionally instructed the courtroom the collapse of the display screen was foreseeable as a result of improper set up and monitoring.