Heat Stress Warning Issued: Employers Urged to Protect Workers from Heat Stroke Risks

LD reminds employers and employees to take heat stroke preventive measures in times of Heat Stress at Work Warning

​As the Heat Stress at Work Warning is now in effect, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and employees to take appropriate measures during the effective period of the warning to prevent heat stroke when working in hot weather or hot environments.

Employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor environments face high levels of heat stress and are at a relatively higher risk of heat stroke. 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, including rescheduling work periods, setting up shading covers, providing ventilation and heat dissipation equipment, and reminding employees to replenish water and rest in a timely manner.

The Heat Stress at Work Warning is formulated by the LD based on the Hong Kong Heat Index. There are three levels of the warning: Amber, Red and Black, which help employers and employees better understand the level of heat stress while working outdoors or indoors without air-conditioning systems.

A spokesman for the LD said that when the department issues the Heat Stress at Work Warning, employers must refer to the criteria and recommendations provided in the "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work" to conduct risk assessments, according to the workloads and other relevant heat stress risk factors, for employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor workplaces. Appropriate rest breaks should be arranged every hour, as far as reasonably practicable, based on various levels of the Heat Stress at Work Warning, to reduce employees' risk of heat stroke.

Employees must also follow instructions to rest on time. Whenever there are any symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as headache, dizziness, thirst, and nausea, they should rest in a cool and shady place, drink water, and inform employers/supervisors to take appropriate action immediately.

The LD issued the "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work", detailing the various risk factors that should be considered when conducting heat stress risk assessments and recommending corresponding control measures for identified risk factors for employers' and employees' reference. For the Heat Stress at Work Warning and related guidelines, please refer to the department's thematic webpage: www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/prevention_of_heat_stroke_at_work.htm.

Remarks by SLW on new "continuous contract" requirement under Employment Ordinance and Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance

Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, after attending Care the Carers Campaign – Carer-friendly Commendation Ceremony this afternoon (January 13):

Reporter: With regard to the new "468" (new "continuous contract" requirement under Employment Ordinance) employment rule, how would that better safeguard part-timers' rights and how would the government respond to those who remain exploited under the new rule, and what protection mechanisms are in place?

Secretary for Labour and Welfare: The new "468" arrangement will come into force on January 18. This is going to be a very clear improvement over the existing arrangement, what we now call "418" as the existing "continuous contract" requirement under the Employment Ordinance. The major improvement is in the calculation of working hours. Under the existing "continuous contract" requirement, the major concern for quite a number of employees is that their working hours for three consecutive weeks are quite long, with very short working hours in the fourth week, and they do not meet the "continuous contract" requirement.

However, once we have changed to "468", that would no longer be the case. If counting for over a period of four weeks, employees will meet the new "continuous contract" requirements if they worked for the employer concerned for 68 hours or more. The employers have to provide a full suite of privileges under the requirements of the Employment Ordinance. I think this is what we are trying to achieve. And for that change, it is achieved through a long discussion at the Labour Advisory Board, with the consensus agreement from both employee and employer members, and then we implement it through amendment to the Employment Ordinance.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

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