Meeting Hong Kong’s 4S System Standards with Smart Workforce Management Solutions

Background: Hong Kong’s Construction Safety New Regulations Driving the Smart Transformation of Safety Management

Despite ongoing efforts to improve workplace safety, the construction industry remains one of the most hazardous sectors in Hong Kong. Notably, during the six-year period from 2018 to 2023, the construction industry recorded a total of 108 fatal industrial accidents, accounting for more than 80% of fatal industrial accidents in all industries. [1]

Repeated safety violations, worker injuries, or fatalities can result in significant penalties under Hong Kong’s Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance (OSHO), Contractors may face fines up to HK$10 million for serious breaches and license suspensions or revocations for repeated violations. These incidents lead to project delays, and often result in work stoppages, improvement notices, and increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies. Such breaches of the OSHO can severely damage the contractor’s reputation and trigger further legal actions.

In response, the Hong Kong Development Bureau (DEVB) issued Works Technical Circular No. 3/2023 in February 2023, officially launching the Smart Site Safety System (4S) for public works contracts exceeding HK$30 million, with up to HK$7.5 million in funding available for 4S System adoption. SSSS enables continuous monitoring of high-risk construction activities, improving site safety by identifying dangerous incidents early and taking immediate mitigation actions.

Why Workforce Tracking Tranparency Matters

On September 30, 2025, a construction worker tragically lost his life when a crane struck him while he was in a restricted area. The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has since recommended prohibiting unauthorized personnel from accessing hazardous zones and installing safety systems, such as danger alarms, which trigger alerts when workers approach these areas. [2]

This tragedy highlights the critical need for workforce tracking transparency, a key foundation of digital workforce management. Given that construction sites are high-risk environments with numerous hazardous zones and constantly moving workers, effective tracking becomes essential. The dynamic and unpredictable nature of these sites significantly heightens safety risks, making transparency in workers’ movements a fundamental aspect of ensuring safety and compliance.

The 4S system comprises ten core components designed to enhance safety across construction sites. Among these, Smart Monitoring Devices for Workers and Frontline Site Personnel plays a vital role in enabling real-time tracking, which is crucial for managing diverse and complex projects, including multiple-tower buildings, building demolition, large-scale site formations, and high-risk operations like flyovers, tunneling, port works, and confined space projects.

The Challenges in Construction Workforce Management

Construction sites are fast-paced, with multiple subcontractors and constantly changing conditions. Despite regulations, workers’ exact locations often remain unclear. Typical workforce management relies on subcontractors to upload time, location, and task data, but safety incidents often occur when the “wrong worker is in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

• Inaccurate Location Tracking: subcontractor managers can only provide rough timeframes and location ranges, making it impossible to track if workers move into unauthorized areas when accident happens.
• Delayed Incident Detection: Even with smaller teams, incidents in remote parts of the site may go unnoticed for hours.
• Unclear Health Status: Workers may continue working despite health issues, risking their safety to maintain attendance, which can lead to accidents.
• Unauthorized Workers in Restricted Areas: Workers may inadvertently or intentionally enter restricted zones, leading to accidents if access controls just Implemented by physcial barries but no strictly enforced by alerts based on real-time trac

How Smart Monitoring Devices for Workers and Frontline Site Personnel Addresses Challenges in Construction Workforce Management

The 4S policy mandates Smart Monitoring Devices to overcome these challenges and enhance workforce management. The system provides real-time tracking, ensuring safety, productivity, and compliance in four key aspects:

• Real-time Location Tracking: Tracks and visualizes both outdoor and indoor locations, recording workers’ presence across different areas and times. All data is securely stored in the management platform.
• Standstill Detection: Detects inactivity and triggers alerts to the control platform. Notifications via SMS or in-app pop-ups are recorded for follow-up actions.
• Health Monitoring: Monitors body temperature and heart rate, sending alerts when thresholds are exceeded. Notifications are sent, and data is recorded for follow-up actions.
• Restricted Area Access: Only authorized personnel can enter restricted areas. Unauthorized access triggers alerts to ensure immediate action.

Technological Challenges in a Dynamic Worksite

Despite advancements in real-time tracking technology, construction sites remain complex and dynamic, with multiple subcontractors and ongoing changes. In Hong Kong, high-density, multi-story projects present unique challenges, requiring systems that balance location accuracy with operational needs. Key technological challenges include:

• Stability of Real-time Positioning
• Deployment Difficulty in Dynamic worksite
• Tracking Precision in Complex, High-density and Multi-story Projects
• Emergency Response to connect all workers
• Data Authenticity in Worker Management
• Adapting to Changing Restricted Areas
• Control of Hazardous Zones

How MytePro Goes Above and Beyond 4S Standards in Workforce Management

• With over 20 years of industry expertise, MytePro’s R&D team has tailored solutions that not only meet the recently introduced 4S standards but also ensure these requirements are seamlessly implemented into construction daily operations. The AIoT-Powered Workforce Management System integrates smart wearable devices and a centralized control platform to deliver real-time visibility, safety monitoring, and data-driven insights across all site operations.

• Uninterrupted Real-Time Tracking: With smart tags featuring 2.5-year batteries and seconds positioning, the system ensures continuous tracking, avoiding disconnections due to power loss or discomfort, making real-time tracking a reliable on-site solution.

• Authenticating Worker Identity and Preventing Falsification: Each worker is assigned a unique profile, ensuring accurate tracking data and preventing falsified records, improving accountability and eliminating fake headcount or unreal work hours.
• Boosting Safety Compliance: The system enables time- and location-based tracking, providing transparent, traceable worker records.

• Easy-to-deploy in Dynamic Worksites：The gateway requires minimal power and covers a 100m range, while the beacons’ 2-year battery life allows flexible deployment in dynamic worksites and multi-story projects.
• Worker’s Privacy: Using Wi-Fi-based 2.4 GHz technology instead of GPS, the system achieves meter-level indoor positioning while protecting workers’ privacy. Both smart tags and bands transmit data to the platform only within the deployed network coverage area.

• Rapid Response to Safety Risks: The mobile app delivers clear alerts for abnormal conditions such as long dwell times, proximity to hazards, and health issues, enabling immediate management intervention.
• Swift Emergency Response: One-click evacuation alerts to all workers in emergencies, ensuring fast action to protect site safety.
• Flexible Access Control for Site Security: Digital fences manage access to hazardous areas, with flexible backend controls to adapt to different subcontractors’ working on-site.

• Real-Time Health Monitoring: Equipped with smart bands that monitor heart rate and body temperature in real-time, MytePro ensures that any worker health issues are promptly detected and addressed. Convenient SOS button ensures immediate action during emergencies.

Ready to Enhance Your Workforce Management with 4S Compliance?

Looking for a Smart Monitoring Device solution that meets the 4S policy requirements? The MytePro AIoT-Powered Workforce Management System is designed to accelerate project completion, improve timeline accuracy, and eliminate safety risks.

Connect with the MytePro Team to discover how real-time tracking can enhance your project’s safety, productivity, and compliance, ensuring success every step of the way.

[1] “Ombudsman announces results of direct investigation operation into Government’s regulation of occupational safety and health in construction industry,” Office of The Ombudsman (Hong Kong), February 2025.

[2] Construction Industry Council (CIC), Safety Alert 23/25 – Restricted Area Incident, 30 September 2025.