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 (August 25) that employers and contractors should avoid assigning employees to carry out electrical work (like electric arc welding work) or handle electrical plant at places affected by rainstorms, and should refer to the "Code of Practice in times of Typhoons and Rainstorms" 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 the rainstorm, suitable safety measures must still be adopted to prevent 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 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.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     Members of the public are advised to report any street flooding that comes to their notice to the Drainage Services Department by calling the 24-hour drainage hotline on 2300 1110.

     In response to the protests in Kowloon today (August 24), a Government spokesman said the following:

     Despite that a Letter of No Objection was issued for the public procession in Kowloon East following discussion between the Police and the organiser, some protesters deviated from the approved route during the procession and set up barricades on a number of roads in Kowloon East and in Sham Shui Po, paralysing traffic and affecting the emergency services. The violent protesters also vandalised public property, committed arson, hurled suspected petrol bombs and attacked police officers with bricks, jeopardising the safety of members of the public and police officers.

     A number of smart lampposts were deliberately damaged by protesters. The Government has repeatedly clarified that the smart lampposts do not carry any facial recognition function and would not infringe upon personal privacy. The smart lampposts are introduced to collect city data such as traffic and air quality data to facilitate smart city development through open data and the upcoming 5G technology. However, irrational protesters disregarded the facts and blatantly damaged the smart lampposts.
 
     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government strongly condemns the vandalistic and violent acts of the protesters. The police will strictly follow up on all the illegal acts. The HKSAR Government appeals to the protesters to stop the violence so that order can be restored in society as soon as possible.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Please broadcast the following message as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     At around 10pm today (August 24), protestors gathered and set up barricades on Yen Chow Street, Sham Shui Po, paralysing traffic. Some violent protestors had arguments and scuffles with others.

     Having given repeated warnings to the protestors in vain, Police officers will soon conduct a dispersal operation.

     Residents of the area are advised to stay tuned to the latest situation and if necessary, keep their windows shut and stay indoors.

     The report room services of the Sham Shui Po Police Station are temporarily suspended. In case of emergency, please dial 999.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Please broadcast the following message as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     A large groups of violent protestors continue to block Lung Cheung Road, Wong Tai Sin, aim laser beams at Police officers and hurl bricks at the Police cordon lines. Such acts pose a serious threat to the citizens and officers on the scene.

     Having given repeated warnings to the protestors in vain, Police officers have deployed tear gas and minimum force to disperse the protestors.

     Police appeal to everyone on site to leave immediately and strongly condemn all violent acts of the protestors.

     Residents of the area are advised to stay tuned to the latest situation and if necessary, keep their windows shut and stay indoors.