​The Labour Department (LD) today (May 2) launched the revised "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work"(GN) and introduced the optimised Heat Stress at Work Warning (HSWW) system to assist employers and employees in taking appropriate measures to prevent heat stroke when working under hot weather or in high-temperature environments.
A spokesman for the LD said, "In response to the views of stakeholders following the issuance of the GN by the LD last May, the LD has suitably enhanced parts of the GN to enable employers and employees to have a better understanding of its principles and recommendations and to help them implement preventive measures against heat stroke effectively."
In addition, the LD, with the assistance of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), has adjusted the cancellation mechanism of the HSWW to minimise the possibility of the warning being reissued within a short period of time after it is cancelled. At the same time, the LD will make reference to the HKO's Extremely Hot special weather tips in the issue, renewal or cancellation of the HSWW. If the HKO issues the Extremely Hot special weather tips, the LD will issue an Amber HSWW even if the Hong Kong Heat Index has not reached the level for issuing the HSWW.
Members of the public can receive notifications of the HSWW via the "GovHK Notifications" or "MyObservatory" mobile applications. The warning message will also be disseminated through government press release, HKO's webpage and the mass media.
For details of the revised GN and HSWW, please refer to the LD's webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/prevention_of_heat_stroke_at_work.htm) or the Occupational Safety and Health Council's dedicated webpage (www.noheatstress.hk ). For enquiries, please call the LD's hotline at 2559 2297 or 2852 4041.
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