appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Edith Lin

Hong Kong labour authorities have unveiled changes to the system that sends out warnings to workers about overexertion during very hot weather, reducing the threshold so higher-tier alerts can be issued more easily following intense criticism of the mechanism.
The Labour Department said on Thursday that two new conditions would be introduced to the Heat Stress at Work Warning system starting on Friday.
The system has three warning levels – amber, red and black – which alert employers and staff to the severity of heat stress if they are working outdoors or indoors without air conditioning.
The first change will lower the threshold for triggering a higher-tier warning if the Observatory has already issued the extremely hot weather special alert, ensuring a quicker response.
The second change will automatically raise the warning level by one tier – from amber to red, or from red to black – when measured temperatures generally over Hong Kong reach 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) or higher.
The revamp follows criticism over a lack of higher alerts earlier this month, when the city grappled with record-breaking temperatures.
“We expect this new arrangement will continue to give timely warning alerts to workers working under heat stress caused by high humidity and poor air circulation, as well as trigger earlier and higher warnings to scenarios of abnormally high temperatures, especially for workers working outdoors,” Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum said on Thursday.

The current warning system relies on the Hong Kong Heat Index, which factors in air temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and hospital admission figures to measure heat stress.
Amber, red or black warnings are issued when index readings at the King’s Park Meteorological Station or four of the nine other monitoring sites reach 30, 32 or 34, respectively.
The amber alert can also be triggered when the Observatory issues the extremely hot weather special alert.
Under the revamped system, if the special alert is active, the warning can escalate to red or black if the King’s Park station or two of the other nine sites record index readings of 32 or 34.
If measured temperatures reach 35 degrees across at least 40 per cent of weather stations, the index threshold for the red or black warning will drop to 30 and 32.
According to Labour Department guidelines, employers are advised to arrange additional rest periods for affected workers when the amber warning is active.
Workers with “very heavy” workloads should suspend their duties under the red alert, while those with “heavy” workloads should do so under the black warning.
On Thursday, the department estimated that in the future, the red warning could be issued four to seven days a year, while the black alert could be triggered one or two days a year.
Kevin Wong Chi-ching, a senior occupational hygienist with the department, said the red warning would have been issued on August 9, when the Observatory logged a record-breaking peak temperature of 36.9 degrees at its Tsim Sha Tsui headquarters, under the revamped system.
He added the red and black alerts would have gone out on August 8, when maximum temperatures in some parts of the city exceeded 38 degrees.
However, Ivanhoe Chang Chi-ho, the department’s deputy commissioner overseeing occupational safety and health, noted that heat stress risks on August 9 were actually lower because humidity and wind speed indicators were more favourable.
Despite calls from former Observatory leaders, the department decided not to adopt the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index, an internationally recognised measurement of outdoor heat stress affecting the human body.
Wong said the localised index was better suited to Hong Kong because it reflected the city’s hot, humid conditions.

But Lam Chiu-ying, a past Observatory head, still urged the government to adopt the WBGT index.
“The baseline metrics of the Hong Kong Heat Index remain unscientific and stand as a key shortcoming to be addressed. I hope it can be solved by next summer,” he said.
Lam added that the government should mandate rest times and mitigation measures under heat stress warnings, improve heatstroke compensation and address potential issues from extended construction work.
The Labour Department said it would step up inspections in the future, particularly at high-risk workplaces, and take enforcement action.
The department said it had conducted 13,342 inspections and issued 602 warning letters as of July.
It added that heatstroke was now considered a work injury and employers were liable to pay compensation under the law.
But any move to classify heatstroke as a statutory occupational disease, making it easier for workers to claim compensation for work-related cases, would depend on factors such as the strength of the link between the illness and the occupation, the department said.
Labour authorities recorded 132 suspected cases of heat stress-related work injuries from 2022 to July this year, with most leading to compensation or out-of-court settlements.
The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims said it believed the revamped mechanism could improve the warning system’s sensitivity and more easily trigger higher-tier alerts.
“The government should continue to monitor the actual situation and whether it matches the wet-bulb globe temperature index. It should review the mechanism in a year,” it said.
The association also urged the government to go a step further by introducing a suspension policy for certain work under the black warning and classifying heatstroke as an occupational disease.


Hong Kong aims to raise zero-carbon energy share of fuel mix to 30% by 2030

Hong Kong must prepare for the impact of heat-related work stoppages

Hong Kong urged to overhaul ecotourism planning and expand bookings for hotspots

Cathay Pacific, Google scale up AI tests to reduce aviation’s climate impact

Hong Kong environmental issues

Hong Kong lowers heat stress warning system thresholds after calls for revamp

The Labour Department says the revamped system will issue earlier and higher heat stress alerts for workers during extreme temperatures. Photo:  Karma Lo

Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui says the revamped system will better protect workers during periods of abnormally high temperatures. Photo: Edmond So

Labour authorities recorded 132 suspected cases of heat stress-related work injuries from 2022 to July this year. Photo: Jelly Tse

As Hong Kong faces more heatwaves, what must be done to make the city more resilient?

Illustration: Davies Christian

Yung often seeks shelter at a nearby shopping centre as his flat in Kwai Tsing is too hot and stuffy when temperatures surge in Hong Kong. Photo: Edmond So

HKU urban climate expert Ren Chao says Hong Kong lacks a comprehensive plan to deal with the short-term and long-term consequences of sustained hot weather. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Chan keeps the windows of his subdivided flat shut because of rat infestations in his neighbourhood, a problem that exacerbates the heat he faces indoors. Photo: Edmond So

Anthony Cheung, vice-president of the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design, says the city’s existing design and building rules do not support building more cooling structures such as canopies and covered walkways. Photo: Dickson Lee

An AI-generated image of the Air Tree, a structure being developed to provide greenery and shade while using solar panels to power fans in public spaces. Photo: Ronald Lu and Partners/Behave

Climate scientists predict that the number of days in a year “repeatedly affected by heatwaves” in Hong Kong will jump from an annual average of 14 days in the 2010s to 101 in the 2040s. Photo: Karma Lo

Hong Kong considers lowering heat-stress warning thresholds amid criticism

Labour officials are reviewing the sensitivity of Hong Kong’s heat-stress warning system after it remained at its lowest level during record heat. Photo: Sam Tsang

Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui says the heat-stress warning system may be adjusted to better reflect exceptionally high temperatures. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong aiming to revamp heat-stress warning system by end of this month

Authorities are reviewing thresholds for Hong Kong’s heat-stress work warnings following criticism over the system’s response to extreme heat. Photo: Sam Tsang

Labour chief Chris Sun says Hong Kong aims to optimise its heat-stress warning system by the end of this month. Photo: Dickson Lee

News

Hong Kong

Health & Environment

Labour Department says updates include automatically raising alert level when temperatures in multiple parts of the city reach 35 degrees


Labour Department says updates include automatically raising alert level when temperatures in multiple parts of the city reach 35 degrees.


Hong Kong lowers heat stress warning system thresholds after calls for revamp

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Labour Department says updates include automatically raising alert level when temperatures in multiple parts of the city reach 35 degrees

Labour Department says updates include automatically raising alert level when temperatures in multiple parts of the city reach 35 degrees