2 more ex-Observatory directors urge gov’t to revamp heat stress index for outdoor workers amid controversy
Two more ex-Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) directors have urged the Labour Department to revamp a controversial heat stress warning for outdoor workers, after even record high temperatures triggered only the lowest alert. Lee Boon-ying and Shun Chi-ming, both former directors of the HKO, said in a jointly written op-ed in Ming Pao on Thursday that […]
Two former directors of the Hong Kong Observatory are calling for the Labour Department to overhaul a controversial heat stress warning system for outdoor workers, amid criticism that the current alert system failed to trigger even the lowest alert during the city's hottest day in 143 years. The Labour Department's Heat Stress at Work Warning, introduced in May 2023, uses the Heat Index (HI) to assess heat stress caused by high temperature, humidity, wind, and sunlight.
However, the two former directors argue that HI is not an accurate reference for outdoor workers, as it is based on conditions experienced by people in air-conditioned environments. They urge the Labour Department to replace the current system with one based on the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a more accurate index for measuring heat stress affecting outdoor workers.
Written by urgent.news from Hong Kong Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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