Labour Department Issues Heat Stress Warning: Safety Measures for Employers and Employees

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.

Labour Department, Photo source: reference image

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.

The hot weather warning in Hong Kong

Thematic Household Survey Report No. 86 published

The Thematic Household Survey Report No. 86 is published by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (June 25).

This publication contains key findings on Internet and personal computer (PC) penetration based on the Thematic Household Survey conducted from July to October 2025.

The survey results showed that the majority of households (96.9%) had Internet access at home in 2025. Among these households, smartphone was the most popular type of device used for Internet connection at home (99.9%), followed by PC (74.7%).

Usage of the Internet remained popular. The rate of persons aged 10 and over having used the Internet during the 12 months before enumeration was 96.4% in 2025, while the corresponding rate in 2024 was 95.8%. It is noteworthy that the rate of persons aged 65 and over having used the Internet increased noticeably from 84.0% in 2024 to 87.1% in 2025.

Findings of the survey also showed that the popularity of smartphones remained at a high level. The smartphone penetration rate was 96.8% in 2025, comparable with the corresponding rate in 2024.

The usage of mobile payments was also common in Hong Kong. The survey revealed that in 2025, 72.8% of persons aged 15 and over had used mobile payments during the 12 months before enumeration, while the corresponding figure in 2024 was 65.6%.

Other information

The survey successfully enumerated target respondents in some 10 100 households in accordance with a scientific sampling scheme to represent the population of Hong Kong.

Detailed findings of the survey, together with the population coverage and concepts/definitions of key terms, are presented in the publication. Users can browse and download the publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1130201&scode=453).

Enquiries about the survey findings can be directed to the Social Surveys Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 3863 2622 or email: thematic@censtatd.gov.hk).

Source: AI-found images