New measures under Housing (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 to combat abuse of public rental housing take effect today
The new measures under the Housing (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 to combat abuse of public rental housing (PRH) have come into effect today (March 31). The measures include: (i) introducing new offences of "serious tenancy abuse of PRH flats"; (ii) empowering authorised officers to demand personal information from suspicious individuals; and (iii) extending the prosecution time limit for offences involving false statements, refusal to furnish information and unlawful alienations.
The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, said, ''The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) keeps on enhancing its policies to ensure that public housing resources are targeted to those in greatest need. The Housing (Amendment) Ordinance 2025demonstrates the steadfast commitment of the Government and the HA to making good use of public housing resources, combining legislative and administrative measures to tackle serious abuse."
The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, Photo source: FB@Winnie Ho
The HA has stepped up its publicity efforts through television programmes, newspapers, social media, leaflets, posters and other channels, and has organised exchange sessions with district councillors to ensure PRH tenants and members of the public fully understand the strengthened measures against abuse of PRH.
The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA), Photo source: reference image
Employers, contractors and employees should be aware of electrical safety at work during rainstorms
As the rainstorm warning has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and contractors that they should adopt necessary work arrangements and take suitable safety measures to protect the safety of their employees when they are carrying out electrical work or handling electrical plant.
A spokesman for the LD said today (April 5) that employers and contractors should avoid assigning employees to carry out electrical work (such as electric arc welding work) or handle electrical plant at places affected by rainstorms, and should refer to the "Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and 'Extreme Conditions'" and the "Guide on Safety at Work in times of Inclement Weather" issued by the LD.
Even if electrical work is carried out or electrical plant is handled at places not affected by a rainstorm, suitable safety measures must still be adopted to prevent an electric shock as the air would be more humid. Such measures include:
(i) Ensure that all live parts of an electrical installation are isolated from the power supply source and rendered dead, and the isolation from the power supply source must be maintained as long as electrical work is being carried out;
(ii) Before carrying out any electrical work or handling any electrical plant, cut off and lock out the power supply source, then test the circuit concerned to confirm that it is dead and display suitable warning notices, and issue a work permit thereafter;
(iii) Ensure that protective devices (such as suitable and adequate fuses and circuit breakers) for the electrical installations or electrical plant have been installed and maintained in good working order, and portable electric tools must be double-insulated or properly earthed;
(iv) Provide suitable personal protective equipment such as insulating gloves and insulating mats for employees; and
(v) If live electrical work is unavoidable, a comprehensive risk assessment should be conducted by a competent person and the appropriate safety precautions should be taken to remove or properly control the electrical hazards involved before such work can proceed.
In addition, employees should co-operate with the employer or contractor to follow the safety instructions and use the safety equipment provided.
The LD has published guidebooks and leaflets on electrical work safety. These safety publications are available free from divisional offices of the department or can be downloaded from its website (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/content2_8.htm).
Should there be any questions about occupational safety and health matters, please contact the Occupational Safety Officer of the LD at 2559 2297.
Source: AI-found images
