LCQ13: Heat Stress at Work Warning system

Following is a question by the Hon Lam Wai-kong and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (October 28): Question: As extremely hot weather has become increasingly frequent, the Labour Department (LD) has earlier on announced further enhancements to the Heat Stress at Work Warning (Heat Warning) system, including lowering the threshold for triggering the Heat Warning in extremely high temperatures. However, workers engaging in frontline outdoor work and working in high-temperature environments have relayed that, while the latest mechanism has enhanced the sensitivity of the warning and increased the frequency with which higher-level warnings are issued, it still fails to accurately reflect the actual heat stress levels in specific working environments (such as construction sites and restaurant kitchens). Furthermore, as the Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work (GN) lack legal effect, it is difficult to enforce the rest periods for employees stipulated in the GN. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) whether the LD has compiled statistics on the respective numbers of cases of e

Free plan · Plus CA$29 or Pro CA$99/month