Building a Safer Tomorrow: Insights from Hong Kong's Design for Safety Excellence Award 2025 Winners
By Safety Specialist Committee
In recent years, Hong Kong's construction and engineering sectors have faced ongoing safety challenges, as reflected in occupational injury statistics released by the Labour Department. Although there has been some improvement in overall trends, the figures remain alarming. In 2024, the region reported 7,371 occupational injuries in industrial undertakings, including 22 fatalities. Notably, the construction industry accounted for 3,037 of these cases and 14 deaths. Each fatality highlights the profound human cost of workplace accidents; in an industry crucial to Hong Kong's urban development, even a single loss of life is unacceptable.
This underscores why construction safety must remain a top priority — not just for regulatory compliance, but for protecting lives, boosting productivity, and ensuring sustainable growth. High-risk environments, from elevated worksites to complex infrastructure interfaces, require proactive measures to prevent accidents that can delay projects, increase costs, and erode public trust. In response to these ongoing concerns, the Safety Specialist Committee of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers launched the inaugural Design for Safety Excellence Award in early 2025, which received an overwhelming response from industry leaders. The winning entries set exceptionally high standards, showcasing innovative approaches that embed safety within core engineering practices. This feature presents insights from the esteemed Gold, Silver, and two Bronze award winners, drawing on their award-winning projects to explore cuttingedge safety integrations, challenges overcome, and forwardlooking strategies. Through their shared experiences, we highlight how these initiatives are reshaping safer engineering landscapes in Hong Kong.
Judged by a panel of esteemed professionals and leading experts, the Design for Safety Excellence Award 2025 represents the highest standards in safety innovation
(L to R) Ir Prof C S Poon, Mr Ho Chun Hung, JP, Ir Lau Chun-Kit, Ricky, JP, Ir Prof Thomas Ho, Ir Alice Chow, Ir Victor Tse
Gold Award: CRCC – Paul Y. Joint Venture
Project: Fanling North New Development Area, Phase 1: Fanling Bypass Eastern Section (Shung Him Tong To Kau Lung Hang)
1. What innovative safety measures or designs did your company implement in your winning project that had the greatest impact on reducing workplace injuries?
Our project — Fanling Bypass Eastern Section (Shung Him Tong to Kau Lung Hang) employed several innovative safety measures that directly contributed to reducing workplace injuries. Foremost among these was the adoption of the Horizontal Bridge Rotation Method (HBRM) for bridge construction above the East Rail Line. This method significantly reduced both the time and extent of work conducted above live railway tracks, limiting workers’ exposure to high-risk environments.
Second, the travelling formwork for the bridge deck was fully enclosed with fire-resistant safety nets to protect workers during concrete casting. Access to high-risk zones was strictly controlled through facial-recognition systems and smart padlocks, ensuring only authorised personnel could enter. Protective barriers and additional wire mesh were installed to eliminate falling object hazards.
Furthermore, our project dedicated safety team worked closely with MTR’s railway protection division to monitor site activities, supported by real-time data from a Smart Monitoring system which tracked geometry, rotation speed, wind speed, and concrete stress under spherical bearings during HBRM (Fig. 1). A LiDAR Intrusion Detection System was deployed to identify any objects intruding into the railway zone and trigger an alarm upon detecting the object. (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1 – SMART Monitoring System
Fig. 2 – LiDAR Intrusion Detection System
AI-powered cameras which monitored and alerted workers and site management to potential safety hazards on site by triggering alarm when safety deficiencies were detected, eg. missing PPE, workers entering restricted zone, and other unsafe acts.
All these enabled early identification and rapid response to potential safety concerns. Regular site demonstrations and full-time supervision during critical operations further ensure strict compliance to safety protocols.
Collaboration with MTR and other stakeholders was also instrumental. By integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, we have enhanced communication and facilitated clearer understanding of construction progress and safety measures among all parties. These measures helped cultivate a comprehensive safety culture that protected workers and minimised injuries.
2. Can you describe any challenges your company faced during the implementation of these safety measures and how you addressed them?
The construction of a 140-meter vehicular bridge section traversed multiple public infrastructures, including MTRC East Rail Line, Ma Wat River, 132kV cables, and Dongjiang Watermains, creating numerous interfaces and constraints. To ensure utility-clearance compliance, span lengths were reconfigured from 110 metres to 128 metres (Fig. 3), reducing construction and maintenance risks and avoiding proximity to the 132kV CLP cable and the MTR’s railway —critical for safety and operational efficiency.
Fig. 3 – Reconfiguring span lengths from 110m to 128m
As the Bridge Rotation Method had never been used in Hong Kong, the project team engaged specialised technical experts from Chinese Mainland to address associated design and operational challenges. Given Hong Kong’s higher typhoon frequency, a specialised design incorporating an outer shear steel support was introduced to bolster structural stability prior to rotation and to resist extreme wind loads. This enhancement exceeded typical Mainland standards to meet local climatic demands.
To ensure real-time monitoring of structural integrity during construction, a Strain Gauge Monitoring System was installed on the shear steel supports, stanchions, and sand jacks. These instruments measured strain transmitted to each component, enabling dynamic assessment of load transfer and structural responses throughout each construction phase.
Complementary monitoring measures included an Automatic Deformation and Monitoring System (ADMS), inclinometer, vibration sensors on railway tracks, and an Intrusion Detection System employing LiDAR and CCTV to maintain safety near sensitive infrastructure. The bridge rotation operation was scheduled during nightly non-traffic hours with traction power isolated, supported by robust contingency and emergency-preparedness planning to mitigate risks such as falling objects or structural instability.
Together, these design innovations, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and enhanced monitoring systems ensured safe and efficient construction while accommodating the complex interfaces and stringent safety requirements of Hong Kong’s urban and climatic environment.
3. How does your company plan to influence the future of safety practices in the engineering industry through this award-winning project?
Winning the Safety Excellence Gold Award affirms our commitment to pioneering safety innovation in infrastructure construction. The successful implementation of the Horizontal Bridge Rotation Method, combined with our integrated safety management approach, has set a new industry benchmark for working safely in complex, high-risk environments.
Moving forward, we plan to share the lessons learned and best practices through industry seminars and technical publications. In collaboration with our client, CEDD, we contributed to the publication of the “Practice Notes on Bridge Rotation Method for Viaduct Construction over Existing Railway,” providing a valuable resource for the industry. The project team will continue to engage in knowledge-sharing platforms, such as the technical seminar organised by ICE in May 2025 to promote broader participation and the exchange of expertise on advanced monitoring technologies, stringent access controls, and stakeholder engagement strategies, thereby encouraging the wider adoption of these safety measures.
We will continue investing in digital tools such as BIM, AR, and AI-driven monitoring systems to enhance predictive, datadriven safety management. Integrating these technologies early in projects enables early hazard identification and fosters a stronger safety culture.
By embedding these innovations within our corporate safety standards and advocating their adoption across industry regulatory frameworks, we aim to help create safer working environments throughout the engineering sector. Ultimately, we aspire to set a global precedent for infrastructure projects worldwide, prioritising safety without compromising efficiency or quality.
Silver Award: China Road and Bridge Corporation/CEDD/AECOM Asia Company Ltd
Project: Tseung Kwan O Promenade Southern Bridge
1. What motivated your company to prioritise safety in the design process, and how did this focus affect the overall project outcomes?
Safety has always been a core principle for us. For the Tseung Kwan O Promenade Southern Bridge, a vital pedestrian link within a densely-populated coastal area, prioritising safety was imperative to ensure the project met its functional objectives while safeguarding users, workers, and the surrounding environment. By integrating safety into the design, we aimed to mitigate potential hazards inherent to complex urban infrastructure, such as limited space during construction and the risks associated with working in areas exposed to long wind fetch and susceptible to typhoons. This approach not only minimised operational delays but also reduced costs linked to workplace incidents, and aligning with our commitment to efficient, and sustainable project delivery.
Our “Safety-first” mindset drove innovative solutions, including the pioneering use of S690QL high-strength steel in the footbridge design, which enhanced structural integrity while optimising material efficiency. Another key innovation was the delivery of the 830-tonne prefabricated main-span arch bridge component across the Cross Bay Link (CBL). Early concepts involving submersible barges were abandoned due to risks associated with tidal fluctuations and limited clearance that could have led to grounding or collisions. Instead, an unprecedented “stepping-over” delivery technique was adopted: the main span was lifted by crane barge onto the CBL’s deck at one end, transported across, and precisely unloaded at the opposite end. This method not only eliminated hazards but also minimised disruption to traffic and the surrounding environment, demonstrating the integration of technical ingenuity and risk mitigation.
The project’s success is underscored by its exemplary safety record: over 400,000 man-hours from contract commencement to commissioning were completed without a single accident. This achievement reinforced a strong safety culture within the team and strengthened stakeholders’ confidence. The Design for Safety Excellence Silver Award 2025 stands as a testament to how embedding safety within the design process has enhanced the project’s operational efficiency, ensured its long-term durability, and established its status as a benchmark for best practices in infrastructure development.
General View of Southern Bridge
2. In what ways did collaboration within your team and with external stakeholders enhance the safety measures applied in your project?
Collaboration was central to embedding safety within the project. The project team—comprising the client, the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD); the designer, AECOM Asia Company Limited (AECOM); and the main contractor: China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) —held regular monthly meetings and ad hoc workshops to align safety protocols, evaluate risks, and discuss mitigation strategies. CEDD provided guidance to ensure compliance with statutory safety requirements, while AECOM applied its technical expertise to optimise structural integrity and strengthen risk assessment frameworks. CRBC demonstrated exceptional execution capabilities in mobilising heavy machinery and workforces, ensuring full adherence to the agreed safety standards.
Furthermore, engagement with external stakeholders, including district councilors, local residents, cycling association, and boat operators at the Eastern Channel, was equally important. Public consultations helped identify community concerns and potential operational impacts, ensuring that safety considerations were addressed holistically.
A key enabler of this collaborative approach was the Building Information Modelling (BIM) system, which underpinned the project’s full scope. A 3D simulation video of the arch steel bridge installation was developed, allowing stakeholders to visualise complex on-site operations. This digital tool enhanced planning, quality control, facilitated meticulous planning and monitoring, and enabled seamless communication among teams.
Main Span Installation
3. What best practices would you recommend to other companies aiming to improve safety in their engineering projects?
We recommend a proactive approach to safety, grounded in innovation, rigorous training, and inclusive collaboration. Adopting the “Design for Safety” concept early in project planning, integrating risk mitigation into every design decision. For instance, prioritising modular and prefabricated construction methods can reduce on-site hazards by minimising complex manual tasks and shortening exposure to high-risk environments. The use of advanced materials, such as high-strength steel or lightweight concrete, also enhances flexibility in installation while maintaining structural integrity, lowering accident probabilities during assembly.
Leverage safety monitoring technologies, such as BIM and real-time sensors, to simulate high-risk operations and identify vulnerabilities before implementation. Our project utilised a BIM-generated 3D video of the arch bridge’s installation, enabling stakeholders to visualise and refine safety protocols, ensuring precise execution.
Equally vital is continuous, comprehensive safety training for all personnel. Frontline staff must undergo repeated training on hazard identification, emergency protocols, and equipment handling, reinforcing the mantra of “Safety First” and “Life First”. For example, in our project, every team member completed structured modules on risk assessment and incident response, while leadership actively promoted safety as a non-negotiable priority.
Lastly, foster a culture of shared responsibility through regular collaboration between internal teams and external stakeholders. Open dialogue ensures safety concerns are addressed holistically, aligning technical solutions with community expectations. By embedding innovation, education, and teamwork into project workflows, companies can transform safety from a compliance requirement to a core driver of excellence.
Bronze Award: CEDD/Hyder-Meinhardt JV/Bouygues Travaux Publics
Project: Trunk Road T2 and Infrastructure Works for Developments at the Former South Apron
1. Can you share a specific instance from your project where your company’s safety design effectively prevented a potential hazard?
One notable instance of effective safety design in our project was the modularisation of the tunnel’s internal structure, achieving up to 95% using precast concrete. This extensive implementation, along with the deployment of specialised machinery for installation, significantly reduced the need for manual labour. Equipment such as flipping tables, segment grabs, the Internal Slab Structure Gantry (ISSG), and the Internal Structure Installation Gantry (ISIG) minimised rigging effort required from workers, thereby reducing safety risks associated with heavy lifting and working at height, as well as lowering the potential for human error.
Compared to traditional in-situ concrete methods— which demand intensive labour for tasks such as formwork erection, rebar installation, and concreting— this mechanised process provides a much safer and more efficient alternative. Workers shifted from physically demanding roles, such as rigging, steel fixing, or concreting to operating machinery and equipment. This transition not only enhances safety and productivity but also fosters a more industrialised and consistent workflow, eliminating the need for workers to constantly adapt to changing site conditions within the tunnel.
Full automated robot for drilling
2. What key lessons has your company learned from this experience that could be beneficial to the broader industry?
The key takeaway from this experience is that the adoption of precast concrete creates a successful synergy between design and construction. By aligning construction methodologies with design intent, we demonstrated that designers can effectively embed the principles of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) into precast components. This synergy not only enhances product quality but also streamlines logistics within the TBM tunnel, significantly improving project scheduling.
Moreover, the use of precast elements, along with specialised installation equipment, contributes to a cleaner and safer working environment. In comparison to traditional in-situ concreting, this method generates less solid waste, wastewater, and dust, thereby reducing health and safety risks for workers. It also eliminates the need to wait for concrete to reach its 28-day strength inside the tunnel, which helps avoid the heat generated during the hydration process. Furthermore, as precast elements are strength-tested prior to delivery, this approach provides greater certainty and quality assurance compared to in-situ methods.
Collectively, these benefits highlight a strong case for the broader adoption of precast construction in major tunneling projects, both in Hong Kong and globally.
3. How does your company plan to continue promoting safety in future projects based on this experience?
The T2 project has showcased Bouygues Travaux Publics’ leadership in adopting precast construction and cuttingedge technologies to enhance safety and efficiency. Building on this success, we plan to further integrate precast construction methodologies into our future projects. By embedding the principles of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) into our design process, we aim to reduce reliance on manual labour-intensive tasks, which minimises exposure to high-risk activities such as heavy lifting, working at height, and on-site concreting.
This strategic shift not only improves safety but also transforms workers' roles—from physically demanding tasks to operating advanced machinery and systems within a more controlled and predictable environment. Furthermore, we are committed to expanding the use of innovative technologies, including artificial intelligence and robotics, for site operations and inspection tasks. These tools enhance precision, reduce human error, and further mitigate safety risks.
At Bouygues Travaux Publics, we believe that innovation is most effective when driven by a dynamic, collaborative approach that connects executive vision, strategic leadership, and frontline execution. This integrated approach ensures that safety remains a core value as we continue to evolve and lead in the construction industry.
Bronze Award: West Kowloon Cultural District Authority/Gammon Construction Limited/Gammon E&M Limited/Atkins China Limited/UN Studio Hong Kong Limited/AD+RG/AECOM Asia Company Ltd/WSP (Asia) Limited
Project: The Lyric Theatre Complex
1. What role did technology play in your company’s safety design, and how did it contribute to the success of your project?
Technology served as a solid backbone to our safety-bydesign strategy for the Lyric Theatre Complex project. Through the full adoption of the Mega MiMEP 3.0 modular approach, we transformed traditional MEP installation into a prefabricated, containerized system. Leveraging BIM integration, point cloud scanning, and 3D-printed sandbox models, we conducted digital rehearsals to simulate and optimise every step of the process before site execution. This proactive planning enabled us to identify and eliminate over 13,650 hours of risk exposure, significantly reducing high-risk activities such as working at height. By relocating more than 80% of the construction activities to our Chinese Mainland module factory, we minimised on-site hazards and shortened the construction timeline by 66%. Each module was designed with built-in safety features, including transformable railings and retractable maintenance decks, ensuring safe access during both installation and future maintenance. The integration of digital tools and modular design not only enhanced safety but also improved productivity and quality, setting a new benchmark for MEP construction in Hong Kong.
2. How do you believe the industry can better recognise and reward safety innovations like those implemented by your company?
To truly promote a culture of proactive safety, we need caring clients, professional consultants, and architects who actively support safety from the earliest stages of a project. Safety innovation thrives when all stakeholders share the belief that safety is not just a compliance requirement , but a design and planning priority. Recognition should go beyond awards—it should be embedded in how we evaluate and support projects. By encouraging investment in safetydriven design approaches such as modular construction, digital rehearsals, and lifecycle planning, the industry can incentivise early and meaningful safety integration.
Incorporating safety innovation into tender assessments, funding criteria, and project reviews would further reinforce its value. Equally important is knowledge sharing: platforms for case studies, forums, and CPD events help spread successful practices. Our Mega MiMEP 3.0 approach is one such example that demonstrates how innovation can elevate safety and efficiency.
Ultimately, safety should be seen not as a cost, but as a value-adding investment. When safety innovation is supported, rewarded, and shared, it drives cultural change and raises the standards across the entire industry.
Gammon E&M in-house MiMEP Factory supporting GEM production
The 1st Launch of Mega MiMEP 3.0 in WestK projects
3. What are your thoughts on the importance of ongoing education and training for your employees in maintaining high safety standards?
Ongoing education and training are essential to sustaining a strong safety culture. At Gammon E&M, we believe safety is not just about compliance — it’s a mindset that must be continually reinforced through learning and collaboration. Beyond technical proficiency, we view training as an opportunity to build a professional legacy. As engineers, we carry the responsibility to pass on not only knowledge, but also the belief that safety is an integral part of good engineering. By fostering user empathy in our design and planning processes, we ensure that safety considerations are not abstract but grounded in the real needs and risks faced by those who build and maintain our systems. This shift in mindset is key to driving broader transformation in safety culture. It’s not enough to rely on procedures; we must empower individuals at all levels to take ownership of safety. When critical thinking, empathy, and accountability become part of daily practice, safety evolves from a requirement into a shared value. In this way, education becomes more than a requirement—it becomes a catalyst for cultural change, ensuring that safety is not merely practised, but deeply valued throughout the industry.
Gammon E&M’s engineer and rigging supervisor engaging in an interactive discussion using 3D printing tools.
A Commitment to a Safer Future
The persistent challenge of occupational injuries in Hong Kong’s construction and engineering sectors underscores the critical need for sustained focus on safety innovation. The remarkable response to the inaugural Design for Safety Excellence Award in 2025, coupled with the exceptional standards demonstrated by its winners, has motivated the Safety Specialist Committee of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers to host the award again in 2026. This initiative not only celebrates groundbreaking safety practices but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and professional excellence. By recognising projects and ideas that prioritise safety without compromising efficiency, we aim to drive transformative change across the industry and create safer workplaces for all.
The construction and engineering communities are invited to participate in the Design for Safety Excellence Award 2026, an opportunity to showcase innovative solutions and establish new benchmarks for safety across the industry. Nominations are now open, with a submission deadline of February 13, 2026. Please visit http://ssc.hkie.org.hk/ or email to sscdfsea2026@gmail.com for more details. Join us in building a safer and more sustainable future!