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 18) 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 media enquiries on the issues between shareholders of Hong Kong Airlines Limited and its financial situation, a spokesman for the Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) responded today (April 18) as follows:
      
     THB received a simple notification regarding the announcement of April 16, 2019 made by the Hong Kong Airlines Consultation Services Co. Ltd and Frontier Investment Partner on the same date. THB and the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) have been following up on the matter.
      
     The authorities concerned have met the relevant parties, and have written to the Hong Kong Airlines Limited (HKA) to impress upon them that the internal issues between the shareholders of HKA shall not affect the airline's aviation safety and operations, and they must protect the interests of travellers and the staff of the airline. The authorities concerned have also requested the relevant parties for further clarifications regarding the content of the said announcement.
      
     In addition, CAD has also stepped up the monitoring on HKA's flight operations and aviation safety, asked the airline to make regular reports to CAD on its operations, with a view to ensuring that the airlines' flight services during the Easter and Labour Day holidays will not be affected. 
      
     With regard to the financial situation of HKA, THB has been closely monitoring the developments and will take appropriate follow-up actions. THB noted the Air Transport Licensing Authority's press release issued on April 15, 2019 concerning HKA's financial situation, and have nothing to supplement at the moment.

     The Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, concluded her visit to Vienna, Austria, this afternoon (April 18, Vienna time).
 
     In the morning, Ms Cheng met with the Secretary General of the Federal Ministry of Constitutional Affairs, Reforms, Deregulation and Justice of Austria, Mr Christian Pilnacek, to give an update on Hong Kong's legal developments. Both sides also explored collaboration opportunities.
 
     Afterwards, Ms Cheng visited the Vienna International Arbitral Centre to meet the president, Dr Gunther Horvath, and the vice president, Dr Nikolaus Pitkowitz, to brief them of the latest developments of arbitration in Hong Kong. Ms Cheng pointed out the advantages brought about by the signing of the Arrangement Concerning Mutual Assistance in Court-ordered Interim Measures in Aid of Arbitral Proceedings by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Dr Horvath and Dr Pitkowitz were of the view that the Arrangement is an important development which would strengthen Hong Kong as an international dispute resolution centre. This also echoed the comments expressed by the Executive Director of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration, Ms Lise Bosman, at the meeting with Ms Cheng in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Tuesday (April 16, The Hague time).
 
     Ms Cheng then paid a courtesy call on the Permanent Representative and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to United Nations and other International Organizations in Vienna, Mr Wang Qun.
 
     In the afternoon, Ms Cheng attended the 26th Vis Moot Final, in which she was invited to sit as a judge for the final round. Vis Moot is an international moot court competition to foster the study of international commercial law and arbitration for resolution of international business disputes.
 
     Upon her arrival in Vienna yesterday (April 17, Vienna time), Ms Cheng met with the Secretary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Ms Anna Joubin-Bret, to discuss issues of international trade law and seek to enhance co-operation with Hong Kong. Ms Cheng also outlined the importance of the Arrangement in the development of Hong Kong as an international arbitration centre. The UNCITRAL, established by the United Nations General Assembly, plays an important role in developing a legal framework for the facilitation of international trade and investment.
 
     Ms Cheng also called on the Chinese Ambassador to Austria, Mr Li Xiaosi, in the afternoon. Later, she attended the Vis Moot reception, where she was invited to deliver a speech to the guests.

                

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the opening ceremony of the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) Chai Wan Campus today (April 18):
 
Dr Roy Chung (Chairman of the Vocational Training Council), Professor Christina Hong (President of THEi), Mrs Carrie Yau (Executive Director of the Vocational Training Council), students, teachers, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good afternoon. I am pleased to be here today for the opening of the brand-new Chai Wan Campus of the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, or THEi, as the Institute is so smartly known. It is particularly delightful to attend this grand opening, just a few months after my attendance at the opening of another new Vocational Training Council facility, the International Culinary Institute in Pok Fu Lam. I understand that there is one person behind both projects of VTC who is unable to join us this afternoon, that is the Honourable Dr Andrew Leung, the predecessor of Dr Roy Chung's predecessor. For infrastructure projects like this, minimally you would require almost a decade of conceiving the project, planning the project, getting the approval and so on, so may I suggest we also give Andrew a big round of applause.
 
     THEi was launched in 2012 in Tsing Yi, offering innovative, self-financed degree programmes. As Roy noted, it has gone from a modest half-a-dozen offerings, and only about 200 students, to 20 degree programmes catering to the interests of more than 3 000 students today. And it will continue to expand to 22 degree programmes in the 2019/20 academic year.
 
     There are good reasons behind its soaring growth. THEi's close collaboration with the Hong Kong workforce is certainly one of them. At last count, more than 300 industry partners were associated with THEi, taking full advantage of its enviable flow of talented young graduates who are well equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge for employment upon graduation. Its bachelor's degree in horticulture and landscape development, for example, is Hong Kong's very first horticulture programme, graduating professionals in arboriculture, horticulture and tree and landscape management. Capitalising on its collaboration with industry, THEi also supports research activities, equipping graduates with leading-edge knowledge to meet the challenges of today's and tomorrow's workplace.
 
     The opening of this Chai Wan Campus showcases our Government's ardent support of vocational and professional education and training (VPET) institutions. Beyond the subvented programmes provided by the Vocational Training Council, we have, in recent years, promoted self-financing institutions, including THEi, through a variety of initiatives that enable their development and provision of quality programmes. These include the Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors and the Non-means-tested Subsidy Scheme for Self-financing Undergraduate Studies. In the current academic year, THEi offers 12 programmes under the Study Subsidy Scheme, in disciplines such as architecture and engineering, creative industries and computer science. It also provides 28 programmes under the Non-means-tested Subsidy Scheme, covering disciplines ranging from the culinary arts and management to fashion design.
 
     In short, self-financing post-secondary institutions now play a significant role in offering and promoting VPET programmes. We are committed to supporting the sustainable development of the self-financing sector, and the Education Bureau is studying in detail the recommendations of a review on self-financing post-secondary education made by a task force led by Professor Anthony Cheung.
 
     We are no less committed to VPET in higher education – to ensuring that our young people can choose from multiple pathways in gaining the education they need for the future they want. VPET is central to those options, not only because of its focus on technical education and practical training. Equally essential is VPET's whole-person development, the IT expertise and innovation it delivers and the soft skills and international exposure it imparts. Last April, my Government set up a Task Force on Promotion of VPET. It has been considering how VPET can better respond to the diverse abilities and interests of our young people, as well as create closer ties with business to meet the manpower needs of Hong Kong through this century of boundless opportunity. Next month, the Task Force will conduct a public consultation on its preliminary recommendations. Roy is the chairman of the task force, so I look to you to provide me with your recommendations after the public consultation.
 
     The grand opening of THEi's new Chai Wan Campus takes us another vital step forward in the development of VPET in higher education and training. I had, just now, a quick tour around the campus, and was impressed by its many purpose-built facilities as well as the public space which will no doubt provide an innovative and sustainable learning environment for the students. I am grateful to all those who have contributed to the development of this dynamic campus. I wish THEi, its students and faculty the best of education and a flourishing future. Thank you very much.