Tai Po blaze: Hong Kong to ban smoking at construction sites from July 17

Smoking will be banned at construction sites in Hong Kong from July 17 under a government proposal sent to the legislature following the deadly blaze at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court last November.The government introduced three amendments to existing ordinances to improve fire safety at the sites on Tuesday.“Since the tragic fire which occurred in Tai Po in November 2025, there has been strong community consensus for implementing a comprehensive smoking ban in construction sites to reduce fire risk and enhance safety,” a Labour and Welfare Bureau paper submitted to the Legislative Council stated.