Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals: Here is an item of interest to swimmers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Depar… read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman: The Office of The Ombudsman announced today (October 19) the appointment of Ms Belinda Kwan as an Assistant Ombudsman with immediate effect. … read more
A sick 60-year-old male person in custody at Stanley Prison died in a public hospital today (October 19).
The person in custody suffered from diabetes mellitus, heart disease and renal failure. He required continuous medical care and follow-up at the institution hospital and public hospitals. On October 7, he was sent to a public hospital for treatment due to physical discomfort. During hospitalisation, his condition deteriorated and he was certified dead at 8.13am today.
The case has been reported to the Police. A death inquest will be held by the Coroner’s Court.
The person in custody was convicted for the offence of trafficking in a dangerous drug in August 2018. read more
The Government published in the Gazette today (October 19) the Air Pollution Control (Non-road Mobile Machinery) (Emission) (Amendment) Regulation 2018, which aims at further tightening in phases the statutory emission standards for non-road vehicles to improve air quality.
The Amendment Regulation will be tabled at the Legislative Council (LegCo) next Wednesday (October 24). If approved by the LegCo, the Amendment Regulation will take effect on January 1, 2019.
A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department said, “To prevent the transfer of old road vehicles, which are no longer roadworthy, into use for non-road applications, it is the Government’s standing policy to adopt the same emission standards for non-road vehicles as those for road vehicles. Pursuant to the Government’s tightening of the emission standards for newly registered road vehicles to Euro VI in phases since July 1, 2017, the Amendment Regulation seeks to tighten the emission standards of the same class of non-road vehicles in line with the latest emission standards for road vehicles.”
The spokesman added that the non-road vehicle classes affected by the Amendment Regulation include buses with design weight of more than 9 tonnes, light buses with design weight not exceeding 3.5 tonnes, goods vehicles and petrol private cars. Their emission standards will be tightened from the current Euro V to Euro VI. The emission standards for non-road diesel private cars will be tightened from California LEV II to California LEV III. For other non-road vehicle classes, including buses with design weight not exceeding 9 tonnes and light buses with design weight of more than 3.5 tonnes and special purpose vehicles, the prevailing emission standards will remain the same.
Compared with their Euro V counterparts, Euro VI heavy duty diesel vehicles emit about 80 per cent less nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 50 per cent less respirable suspended particulates, while Euro VI light duty diesel vehicles emit about 55 per cent less NOx. read more
The Labour Department (LD) has today (October 19) withdrawn the recognition given to the Association of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited (AEME) for running the Gas Welding Safety Training Course under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Gas Welding and Flame Cutting) Regulation (Cap. 59AI) for persons employed at an industrial undertaking performing gas welding and flame cutting work.
A spokesman for the LD said the AEME was found to have breached the approval conditions attached to the running of the course. A trainer of the AEME discussed a large number of questions selected from the examination paper and their respective answer choices with all the trainees right before the written examination. In addition, a trainee was found cheating during re-examination but the trainer concerned and the invigilator did not take any action. The AEME subsequently issued a certificate to that trainee. Having conducted thorough investigation and evidence gathering, and having considered the explanations and representations given by the AEME, the LD decided to withdraw the recognition in view of the serious nature of the breach.
“We conduct surprise checks from time to time to monitor training course providers’ compliance with approval conditions of safety training courses, as part of our efforts to ensure the quality of these training courses. Failure to comply with the approval conditions may result in the withdrawal of the recognition of the courses,” the spokesman stressed.
There are currently 21 approved course providers running the Gas Welding Safety Training Course. The course information is available on the LD’s website (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/osh/content5.htm). People who need to take the course may enrol with these approved course providers.
“For enquiries, please call the LD’s Occupational Safety and Health Training Centre hotline on 2940 7010 or the department’s occupational safety and health advisory telephone service hotline on 2559 2297,” the spokesman said. read more