The Labour Department will hold a seminar on the Minimum Wage Ordinance on September 4 (Wednesday) at 2.45pm at the Lecture Hall, the Hong Kong Space Museum, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Enrolment is now open.

     The main provisions of the Minimum Wage Ordinance and family-friendly employment practices will be introduced in the seminar. Employers, employees and human resources practitioners are welcome to attend.

     The seminar will be conducted in Cantonese and admission is free. Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and the enrolment deadline is August 23. The enrolment form can be downloaded from the Labour Department's website (https://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/MWOseminar2024.htm). For enquiries, please call 2852 3861.

     Hong Kong Customs on August 5 detected a passenger drug trafficking case at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 3.3 kilograms of suspected ketamine with an estimated market value of about $1.6 million.

     A 64-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, via Helsinki, Finland, on that day. During Customs clearance, about 3.3kg of suspected ketamine were found concealed in five health supplements packaging in his check-in luggage. The man was subsequently arrested. 

     An investigation is ongoing.

     Following the increasing number of visitors to Hong Kong, Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

     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 Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

  

     The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (August 7) announced that the department tested 115 water samples collected from cooling towers in 75 buildings during its routine inspections in July 2024. Seven samples were detected to have a total legionella count at or above the upper threshold, which is 1 000 colony-forming units per millilitre. The latest statistics are set out in Annex 1.

     The cooling towers in which the seven samples were collected are located at 62 Fuk Hi Street, Yuen Long; Section A of Lot 407 in DD 130 and adjoining government land, Tuen Mun; Star House, Salisbury Road, Yau Tsim Mong; Wah Hing Industrial Mansions, 36 Tai Yau Street, Wong Tai Sin; 66 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po; and 308 Castle Peak Road, Sham Shui Po. The EMSD has issued nuisance notices under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance to the owners of the cooling towers requiring appropriate disinfection work to be done. Disinfection of the cooling towers in these cases has already been completed by the owners. Details of the case can be found in Annex 2.

     The EMSD publishes the latest statistics of the above information on a half-monthly basis on its website (www.emsd.gov.hk/en/other_regulatory_services/cooling_towers/water_sampling/index.html).

     The EMSD reminds the owners of fresh water cooling towers that they have the responsibility to design, operate and maintain cooling towers properly. They should arrange regular inspections, timely maintenance and periodic testing of the water quality in their cooling towers in accordance with the Code of Practice for Fresh Water Cooling Towers issued by the department to prevent the proliferation of legionella.

     â€‹As the Heat Stress at Work Warning is now in effect, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and employees to take appropriate measures during the effective period of the warning to prevent heat stroke when working in hot weather or hot environments.
      
     Employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor environments face high levels of heat stress and are at a relatively higher risk of heat stroke. Employers should assess the risk factors of heat stress for employees at work and, based on the identified risk factors, take necessary preventive and control measures, including rescheduling work periods, setting up shading covers, providing ventilation and heat dissipation equipment, and reminding employees to replenish water and rest in a timely manner.
      
     The Heat Stress at Work Warning is formulated by the LD based on the Hong Kong Heat Index. There are three levels of the warning: Amber, Red and Black, which help employers and employees better understand the level of heat stress while working outdoors or indoors without air-conditioning systems.
      
     A spokesman for the LD said that when the department issues the Heat Stress at Work Warning, employers must refer to the criteria and recommendations provided in the "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work" to conduct risk assessments, according to the workloads and other relevant heat stress risk factors, for employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor workplaces. Appropriate rest breaks should be arranged every hour, as far as reasonably practicable, based on various levels of the Heat Stress at Work Warning, to reduce employees' risk of heat stroke.
      
     Employees must also follow instructions to rest on time. Whenever there are any symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as headache, dizziness, thirst, and nausea, they should rest in a cool and shady place, drink water, and inform employers/supervisors to take appropriate action immediately.
      
     The LD issued the "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work", detailing the various risk factors that should be considered when conducting heat stress risk assessments and recommending corresponding control measures for identified risk factors for employers' and employees' reference. For the Heat Stress at Work Warning and related guidelines, please refer to the department's thematic webpage: www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/prevention_of_heat_stroke_at_work.htm.

     â€‹Correctional officers stopped a 71-year-old male remand person in custody from committing suicide by hanging in Pak Sha Wan Correctional Institution yesterday (August 6).

     At 9.05pm yesterday, a correctional officer found the remand person in custody attempting suicide by hanging himself with his shirt tied to the grille bar of a dormitory. The officer immediately called for reinforcement to rescue and provide first aid treatment to him. The person in custody was found conscious at the time and was subsequently sent to a public hospital for further treatment.

     A clinical psychologist of the department will follow up on the case.

     A spokesman for the Correctional Services Department said, "The department uses all possible measures to prevent persons in custody from attempting suicide or self-harm. These measures include administrative arrangements, improvement of institution facilities, staff training and first aid services."

     The person in custody was remanded for the offence of arson in May 2024.