Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about the fatal work accident that happened at a construction site of the Airport Three Runway System project at Chek Lap Kok this afternoon (June 30), in which two male workers while repairing a machine were struck by the wire rope of the machine, and one of them died and the other injured. The LD is saddened by the death and injury of the workers, and has expressed its deepest sympathy to the deceased’s family.

     The LD’s spokesman said, “We commenced immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and issued suspension notices to the contractors concerned, suspending the operation and repair of the machine involved on the site. The contractors cannot resume the work process until LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risk have been taken.”

     The spokesman added, “We will complete investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation.”

     The general duty provisions of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, safe plant and safe systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the above provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for six months.

     In regard to today’s accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers’ unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent recurrence of similar accidents.

     The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees’ compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees’ compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.

     For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers.   read more

     The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (the National Security Law) has come into force.&n… read more

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (June 29) seized about 1 kilogram of suspected methamphetamine with an estimated market value of about $650,000 in Jordan. 

     During an anti-narcotics operation conducted in Jordan yesterday afternoon, Customs officers intercepted a non-Chinese man and found nine pulleys inside the carton box he carried. Upon examination, the batch of suspected methamphetamine was seized from the false compartments of the pulleys. The man was then arrested.

     Investigation is ongoing.  

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations: Please broadcast the following message as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:      At around 6pm today (June 30), some protestors were gathering and chan… read more

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (June 30) that a sample of prepackaged frozen green wrasse fillet imported from New Zealand was found to contain a metal contaminant, mercury, at a level exceeding the legal limit. The CFS is following up on the case.

     Product details are as follows:

Product name: (not available in English)
Place of origin: New Zealand
Distributor: New Kwok Wah
Importer: Ocean Harvest Frozen Food Ltd.
Best-before-date: November 26, 2020

     A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a fresh provision shop in Wan Chai for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that it contained mercury at a level of 1.69 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the legal limit of 0.5 ppm.”

     “The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and instructed it to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected batch of the product. The importer concerned has initiated a recall according to the CFS’ instructions. Members of the public may call the importer’s hotline at 2563 8878 during office hours for enquiries about the recall. The CFS is also tracing the source of the affected product,” the spokesman added.

     “Mercury may affect the nervous system, particularly the developing brain. At high levels, mercury can affect foetal brain development, and affect vision, hearing, muscle co-ordination and memory in adults. Furthermore, as some international organisations such as the World Health Organization have pointed out, consuming predatory fish species is the main source of mercury intake for human beings. The report of the CFS’ Total Diet Study has also pointed out that large fish or predatory fish species may contain high mercury levels (for example, tuna, alfonsino, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy and king mackerel). Hence, groups particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of mercury, such as pregnant women, women planning pregnancy and young children, should opt for fish that are smaller in size for consumption and avoid consumption of the above-mentioned types of fish which may contain high mercury levels to minimise the health risk posed to the foetus, infants and young children by excessive exposure to metal contaminants in food,” he added.

     According to the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap 132V), any person who sells food with metallic contamination above the legal limit may be prosecuted and is liable upon conviction to a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.

     “People are advised to maintain a balanced and varied diet. To avoid health risks posed by excessive intake of metallic contaminants, pregnant women, women planning pregnancy and young children should avoid eating large or predatory fish,” the spokesman said.

     The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing. read more