Mong Kok workers haul air conditioner by rope, sparking safety fears
Footage shows about 10 workers using ropes to hoist a heavy air conditioner onto a building canopy in busy Mong Kok without cordoning off the area, prompting online criticism over safety risks.
Footage circulated online on Saturday showed about 10 workers hauling a heavy split-type air conditioner up to a building canopy in busy Mong Kok using ropes instead of mechanical cranes, sparking widespread concern over safety.
The workers were stationed on a platform and on the ground at the junction of Nelson Street and Sai Yee Street. They pulled the unit by hand through the air above crowded sidewalks without cordoning off the area, according to the footage.
Passers-by kept their distance as the unit swayed in mid-air, while workers on the platform appeared visibly exhausted during the operation, the footage showed.
The dangerous stunt drew fierce online criticism from web users, who warned that a falling unit could cause severe casualties. They noted that safety rules require proper lifting gear and site cordons.