Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible: Here is an item of interest to swimmers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (December 28) that due to bi… read more
Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 26) seized about 600 grams of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $680,000 at Hong Kong International Airport.
A female passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday afternoon. During Customs clearance, the batch of suspected cocaine was found concealed inside the interlining of the jacket worn by her and three pieces of clothes inside her baggage. The woman was then arrested.
The arrested woman, aged 19, has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. She will appear at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (December 28).
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 27) that a loose-packed dried shrimp sample was found to contain a preservative, sulphur dioxide, at a level exceeding the legal limit, and a fresh pork sample was found to contain sulphur dioxide which is not permitted to be used in fresh meat. The CFS is following up on the cases.
A spokesman for the CFS said, “Subsequent to announcing earlier that a dried shrimp sample taken from a retail outlet in Tin Shui Wai was found to contain excessive sulphur dioxide, and a fresh pork sample taken from a fresh provision shop in Sha Tin was detected with sulphur dioxide, the CFS took a dried shrimp sample of the same kind and another fresh pork sample from the two premises respectively for testing during follow-up investigations. Similar irregularities were detected. The dried shrimp sample was detected with sulphur dioxide at a level of 72 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the legal limit of 30 ppm while the fresh pork sample was found to contain the preservative at a level of 14 ppm.”
The spokesman said that according to the Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap 132BD), it is an offence to add sulphur dioxide to fresh or chilled meat. Should preservatives be added to food allowed with such addition, the use must comply with the Regulation. Offenders are liable to a maximum penalty of $50,000 fine and six months’ imprisonment upon conviction.
The CFS is tracing the sources of the affected products. Should there be sufficient evidence, prosecution will be instituted.
Sulphur dioxide is a commonly used preservative in a variety of foods including dried vegetables, dried fruits, pickled vegetables, salted fish products and meat products such as sausages and grilled burgers. Individual meat traders have been found illegally using sulphur dioxide to make meat look fresher. This preservative is of low toxicity. As it is water soluble, most of it can be removed through washing and cooking. However, susceptible individuals who are allergic to this preservative may experience breathing difficulties, headache and nausea.
The CFS will continue to follow up on the cases and take appropriate action. Investigation is on-going. read more
Nine newly established Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres in Hong Kong commenced operation today (December 27). The Immigration Department (ImmD) began the first phase of the territory-wid… read more
The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about the work accident that happened in Yau Tong in the afternoon today (December 27), in which a male scaffolding worker fell from the external wall of a residential building and sustained fatal injury. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker and has expressed its deepest sympathy to the victim’s family.
The LD’s spokesman said, “We commenced immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and issued suspension notices to the contractors/employer involved to suspend the use, erection, alteration and dismantling of the truss-out scaffold concerned. The contractors/employer cannot resume the work process until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risk have been taken.
“We will complete investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation.”
The general duty provisions of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, safe plant and safe systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the above provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for six months.
In regard to today’s accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers’ unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent recurrence of similar accidents.
The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees’ compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees’ compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.
For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers. read more