HK gov't urges employers to ensure workers' safety after heat stress warnings issued for 2 consecutive days
Hong Kong's Labour Department has urged employers to take preventive measures against heatstroke and to ensure workers' safety after the city issued a heat stress warning for two consecutive days.
Temperatures rose to 33 degrees Celsius in multiple districts across Hong Kong on Friday, reaching over 35 degrees in places such as Cheung Chau and Sheung Shui. The mercury also hit 33 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
'Employers should assess the risk factors of heat stress for employees at work and, based on the identified risk factors, take necessary preventive and control measures,' the Labour Department said in a statement issued on Friday morning.
Such measures include rearranging working hours, setting up shading covers, providing ventilation equipment, and reminding employees to replenish water and rest, it said.
The department issued an amber heat stress warning on Thursday, the first time this year, which lasted from 1.30pm to 4.30pm.
It issued another amber heat stress warning on Friday, from 10.40am to 4.40pm.
When the amber heat stress warning is in effect, outdoor workers with a 'very heavy' workload are 'recommended' to take 45 minutes of rest after working for 15 minutes every hour.
The Labour Department reminded all employers to follow the government's guidelines when the Heat Stress at Work warning is in effect.
The government introduced a three-tier warning system in 2023 to help protect Hong Kong workers from heatstroke. The warning system is coded amber, red, and black, referring to 'high,' 'very high,' and 'extremely high' levels of heat stress.
However, NGOs and labour groups have criticised the system for failing to be legally binding and for setting many hurdles for workers to take rest and suspend work.
The Labour Department told local media outlets that there were 30 heatstroke-related workplace injuries in 2024, adding that the authority had conducted over 23,000 heat stress inspections at workplaces and issued 1,031 warnings to employers.
Worker's death
A worker collapsed at a Prince of Wales Hospital construction site on Wednesday afternoon and was later pronounced dead at the hospital, local media reported.
The government did not issue any heat stress warning on that day.
However, according to the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, a labour rights NGO, the worker's family suspected that he died because his supervisor did not make appropriate arrangements during a very hot day.
The labour group and the worker's family urged the Labour Department to investigate the incident and publish an investigative report.
Even when the authorities do not issue a heat stress warning, employers should introduce heat preventive measures, ensuring workers have a certain amount of rest time every hour and are provided with sufficient water, the NGO urged.
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Hong Kong's Labour Department has urged employers to take preventive measures against heatstroke and to ensure workers' safety after the city issued a heat stress warning for two consecutive days. Temperatures rose to 33 degrees Celsius in multiple districts across Hong Kong on Friday, reaching over 35 degrees in places such as Cheung Chau and Sheung Shui. The mercury also hit 33 degrees Celsius on Thursday. 'Employers should assess the risk factors of heat stress for employees at work and, based on the identified risk factors, take necessary preventive and control measures,' the Labour Department said in a statement issued on Friday morning. Such measures include rearranging working hours, setting up shading covers, providing ventilation equipment, and reminding employees to replenish water and rest, it said. The department issued an amber heat stress warning on Thursday, the first time this year, which lasted from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. It issued another amber heat stress warning on Friday, from 10.40am to 4.40pm. When the amber heat stress warning is in effect, outdoor workers with a 'very heavy' workload are 'recommended' to take 45 minutes of rest after working for 15 minutes every hour. The Labour Department reminded all employers to follow the government's guidelines when the Heat Stress at Work warning is in effect. The government introduced a three-tier warning system in 2023 to help protect Hong Kong workers from heatstroke. The warning system is coded amber, red, and black, referring to 'high,' 'very high,' and 'extremely high' levels of heat stress. However, NGOs and labour groups have criticised the system for failing to be legally binding and for setting many hurdles for workers to take rest and suspend work. The Labour Department told local media outlets that there were 30 heatstroke-related workplace injuries in 2024, adding that the authority had conducted over 23,000 heat stress inspections at workplaces and issued 1,031 warnings to employers. Worker's death A worker collapsed at a Prince of Wales Hospital construction site on Wednesday afternoon and was later pronounced dead at the hospital, local media reported. The government did not issue any heat stress warning on that day. However, according to the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, a labour rights NGO, the worker's family suspected that he died because his supervisor did not make appropriate arrangements during a very hot day. The labour group and the worker's family urged the Labour Department to investigate the incident and publish an investigative report. Even when the authorities do not issue a heat stress warning, employers should introduce heat preventive measures, ensuring workers have a certain amount of rest time every hour and are provided with sufficient water, the NGO urged.
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