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     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 (March 15) 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 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 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. read more

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 … read more

     The Director of Social Welfare (DSW), Mr Edward To, attended the 2025 Aspiring Youth Recognition Ceremony today (March 15) with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs), Ms Mandy Tang, to celebrate the remarkable progress and achievements made by the children and young people who were made wards of the DSW as well as those receiving residential care from the TWGHs.
      
     Addressing the event, Mr To said that the award presentation ceremony, jointly organised by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) and the TWGHs, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Promoting a caring spirit throughout the years, the ceremony has been giving recognitions to relevant children and youths who have achieved laudable performance in different aspects, including academics, conduct, sports, arts and services. Mr To commended the awardees for setting a good model for other children and youths in the community with their courage and perseverance in facing challenges and adversities, as well as their determination to strive for a bright future.
      
     Mr To also extended appreciation to the caregivers for helping these children and adolescents to grow and thrive in a nurturing environment. He encouraged all participating children and adolescents to maintain a positive attitude, continue to pursue their dreams and realise a rewarding and blissful future.
      
     Twelve-year-old Ah Son is one of the recipients of the Best Achievement Award. He is a ward of the DSW and is now receiving residential care from the TWGHs. The grief at the loss of his father, life pressures and the difficulties arising from the pandemic have once taken Ah Son down both emotionally and academically. However, with the tender care and nurturing support from his caregivers, Ah Son has overcome the challenges and successfully enrolled in his ideal secondary school. Showing resilience and a positive learning attitude, the academic results of Ah Son in Secondary One have been outstanding. Ah Son is also talented in sports. With exceptional skills, he is now a shining star at the school’s badminton team.
      
     Another awardee of the Best Achievement Award is 19-year-old Ismael. He was made a ward of the DSW before he reached one year of age due to the divorce of his parents. Ismael has been positive in the face of life challenges. Staying focused on his studies, he also shows a passion for music and does especially well in singing and guitar. Since the completion of his secondary education in 2024, Ismael has enrolled in a bachelor of social work programme. Last summer, he visited a remote area in Thailand with a church group to serve the underprivileged.
      
     Children and adolescents are made wards of the DSW for various reasons, such as death, loss, imprisonment, long-term hospitalisation or incapability of their parents, or because they are unable or unsuitable to live with their family members. Prioritising the best interests of children and adolescents, the SWD’s social workers would, depending on individual case circumstances, apply for wardship for a case in accordance with the court procedures stipulated in the Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance (Cap. 213 of the Laws of Hong Kong), and draw up appropriate long-term welfare plans for them, such as arranging for adoption or reunion with their families, or preparing them to live independently when they become adults.

     As at the end of December 2024, there were a total of 788 children and young people who were made wards of the DSW. At the ceremony today, 44 children and youths were awarded the Best Achievement Award or the Best Progress Award.

      

     The winners of the plant exhibit competition, one of the major activities of the Hong Kong Flower Show, were announced today (March 15). At the prize presentation ceremony, winners of the best exhibits in the Open Competition Section and the Jockey Club School Section were each presented with a Hong Kong Flower Show Award.
 
     Mr Jason Yau won the Open Competition Section with a pot of exquisite bonsai, while students from SPHRC Kung Yik She Secondary School won the School Section with three pots of outstanding hanging basket plants.
 
     The winner of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) Western Style Garden Plot Competition was Yuen Long District, while Tsuen Wan District won the LCSD Oriental Style Garden Plot Competition.
 
     The flower show is being held at Victoria Park until March 23 from 9am to 9pm daily, featuring “Ablaze with Glory” as the theme and cosmos as the theme flower.
 
     Some 400 000 flowers including about 40 000 cosmos are on display. More than 230 organisations have participated in the event. A diverse range of educational and recreational fringe activities are also offered for visitors of all ages.
 
     The fun-filled family programmes being held on the park’s central lawn include balloon-twisting, magic shows, bouncy slide, Jockey Club Community Green Playground, green activities workshops as well as the newly added busking performances. The indoor garden “A Giant Teapot in a Lilliputian World”, a pop-up library, floral art demonstrations and music performances are also available at the floral marquee, where entries of the plant exhibit competition are being displayed.
 
     Other programmes in the showground’s main stage include talks as well as music and dance performances. There will also be floral art demonstrations by florists. For the schedule of the activities in the central lawn and the main stage, please refer to the webpage www.hkflowershow.hk/en/hkfs/2025/activities.html.
 
     To support environmental protection, visitors are encouraged to bring their own water bottles and green shopping bags. The showground also has QR codes for downloading the location map and information on the theme flower and landscape displays.
 
     For more details of the flower show and its admission fee arrangements, please visit the event webpage www.hkflowershow.hk/en/hkfs/2025/index.html or call the enquiry hotline at 2601 8260.
 
     The flower show is organised by the LCSD. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has supported the Flower Show since 2013 and has been its major sponsor since 2014.

        

     â€‹The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health (DH) continued to clamp down on illegal waterpipe smoking in no smoking areas by conducting another enforcement operation, codenamed “Pipepurge”, in Central last night (March 14) and issued a total of two fixed penalty notices (FPNs). 

     During the operation, officers from TACO (including plainclothes officers) carried out inspections and enforcement action at one bar in Central, and issued a total of two FPNs to persons illegally smoking waterpipes. TACO’s investigation is ongoing, and prosecution may also be taken against operators of the bar who are suspected of aiding and abetting smoking offences. TACO will also refer the cases to the Liquor Licensing Board for appropriate follow-up action.

     Under the Ordinance, conducting a smoking act in a statutory no smoking area (such as indoor areas of bars or restaurants) is prohibited. Any person doing a smoking act in statutory no smoking areas is liable to a fixed penalty of $1,500. Moreover, where smoking products (including waterpipes) are sold, in bars or otherwise, the restrictions on the promotion and sale of smoking products stipulated in the Ordinance apply. Offenders are liable on summary conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000. Venue managers of statutory no smoking areas are empowered by the Ordinance to request a smoking offender cease the act; if the offender is not co-operative, the manager may contact the Police for assistance.

     In addition, under the Criminal Procedure Ordinance, any person who aids, abets, counsels or procures the commission by another person of any offence shall be guilty of the same offence.

     “The DH will continue to closely monitor and take stringent enforcement action against illegal waterpipe smoking. Last year (2024), TACO conducted 162 operations against illegal waterpipe smoking activities in no smoking areas. A total of 162 FPNs were issued against smoking offenders, while 89 summonses were issued to staff members and operators of the bars/restaurants for other related offences,” the Head of TACO, Dr Fung Ying said.

     Dr Fung reminded the public that waterpipe is a smoking product, and its combustion of fuel (e.g. charcoal) releases carbon monoxide. Exposure to a low concentration of carbon monoxide can lead to a range of symptoms such as dizziness, headache, tiredness and nausea; whereas exposure to a high concentration of carbon monoxide can lead to impaired vision, disturbed co-ordination, unconsciousness, brain damage or even death. People should seek medical attention immediately if they suspect they are developing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

     A typical one-hour waterpipe smoking session exposes the user to 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single conventional cigarette. Moreover, sharing a waterpipe apparatus increases the risk of transmitting infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis.

     She cautioned against waterpipe smoking and the use of other smoking products. Smokers should quit smoking as early as possible for their own health and that of others. For more information on the hazards of waterpipe smoking, please visit www.livetobaccofree.hk/pdfs/waterpipe_leaflet_new.pdf.