Refined heat stress warning system takes effect Friday

Labour Commissioner Sam Hui announced on Thursday that a refined heat stress warning system will come into effect on Friday, aimed at enhancing worker safety in Hong Kong. This improvement follows concerns raised over the month, when only the lowest amber alert was issued despite record-breaking temperatures. Hui explained that two new triggers have been added, building on discussions with experts at the Observatory, to make the system more responsive to extreme heat.

Effective Friday, the amber warning will be issued immediately when the Observatory announces an extreme heat alert, and the threshold for raising the warning level will be lowered for an earlier activation. Hui specified that if temperatures in Hong Kong reach 35 degrees or above, the warning will automatically increase by one level. This means that an amber alert would then trigger a red warning, and a red warning would lead to a black warning, similar to the progression from red to black.

Hui expressed hope that these enhanced warnings will enable employers and employees to put mitigation measures into action more swiftly. He emphasized that the system will continue to provide timely alerts for workers facing heat stress due to high humidity and poor air circulation, as well as for scenarios involving abnormally high temperatures, particularly for outdoor workers. The department will persist in gathering data to evaluate the effectiveness of this improved system.