How Hong Kong can protect manual workers bearing brunt of heatwave
At a bustling fruit store in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay, a crowd of workers sporting damp towels around their necks or fan vests buy up chilled drinks to stay hydrated as temperatures hit 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 Fahrenheit) on a busy weekday morning. Soaked in sweat, 29-year-old construction worker Yau is among those buying a litre of water to help beat the heat on Wednesday. “I spend at least…
In Hong Kong, manual workers are bearing the brunt of a recent heatwave, with temperatures reaching up to 37.5 degrees Celsius in some areas. Construction worker Yau spends up to HK$100 daily on water to stay hydrated while working without shade. Cleaner Zoe Ip, who cleans staircases and outdoor areas of a private estate, described the summer weather as "stifling" and low on energy.
Union leaders and meteorologists are calling for heat-related illnesses to be added to the statutory occupational injury list and for heat subsidies for buying water, reporting of heatstroke cases, and a review of the heat stress warning system. The Hong Kong Observatory has recorded maximum temperatures above 34 degrees Celsius in several districts recently.
Recognizing heatstroke as a work injury, while difficult, is crucial as prolonged exposure to extreme heat can have long-term effects on workers' health.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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