The 13th Day for Wang Fuk Residents to Return: 119 Households Successfully Access Units Amid Government Support Efforts

Government concludes thirteenth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units

Today (May 2) is the thirteenth day of phased arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units. Five middle-zone floors of Wang Tai House and 10 low-zone floors of Wang Shing House were opened. The access arrangements were carried out in an orderly manner and operated smoothly.

A total of 119 households (438 people) registered to return to their units today through the "one social worker per household" service, while 119 households (457 people) actually turned up.

The average time residents spent entering and leaving the building today was two hours and 23 minutes, with the shortest time being 10 minutes and the longest three hours and 33 minutes. About 77 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than three hours. About 24 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than two hours. About 5 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than one hour.

A total of 73 households (135 people) went up and down the building more than once. Among them, 44 households (90 people) made one additional trip, 15 households (29 people) made two additional trips, 9 households (11 people) made three additional trips, 3 households (3 people) made four additional trips, and 2 households (2 people) made five additional trips.

The integrated enquiry counter set up by relevant departments today received 12 cases requesting police assistance and 3 cases involving residents seeking help due to physical discomfort, as well as 1 case seeking psychological counselling services.

The 12 cases requesting police assistance involved suspected loss of property, including jewellery, cash and gold items. Officers were immediately deployed to assist in searches, and lost property was recovered in 4 cases. In another four cases, the units concerned were severely damaged and residents believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire. For the remaining 4 cases, there were no signs of ransacking in the units, and the residents could not provide details on the property concerned.

The Government spares no effort in supporting the residents returning to their units. Each day, the Government deploys over 1 000 personnel from various departments, including the Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the Housing Department, and the Housing Bureau, as well as District Services and Community Care Teams members. The "Government-wide Mobilisation" mechanism has also been activated to bring together greater interdepartmental resources to support residents.

Under the "Government-wide Mobilisation" mechanism, the Civil Service Bureau has co-ordinated nine government departments to mobilise civil servants to form the Government Quick Response Unit to support these access arrangements. These civil servants come from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD), the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the Lands Department (LandsD), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the Post Office, and the Water Supplies Department (WSD). They will form dedicated teams with social workers and clinical psychologists from the SWD, stationed on different floors to provide support to residents returning to their units. The civil servants mobilised in the first three days were from the AFCD, those mobilised from the fourth day to the sixth day are from the EMSD and the LCSD, those mobilised from the seventh day to the ninth day are from the LandsD and the WSD, those mobilised from the tenth day to the twelfth day are from the Post Office and the ArchSD, while those mobilised from the thirteenth day to the fifteenth day (including today) are from the FEHD and the EPD.

Members of the Auxiliary Medical Service station at a first-aid post on-site, providing first-aid and medical services. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

For the arrangements for residents of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po returning to their units, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) deployed over 1 700 members under the "one social worker per household" service to support every household. Also, dedicated teams comprising social workers and clinical psychologists are stationed on the reopened floors to assist residents and to accompany those with special needs, including family members of the deceased, to return to their units. Photo shows a dedicated team comprising social workers and clinical psychologists of the SWD, together with mobilised civil servants, entering the estate to support residents returning to their units. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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.

The Labour Department (LD), Photo source: reference image

A spokesman for the LD said today (May 3) 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.

Photo by Bastille Post