Author Archives: hksar gov

     The winners of a Chinese slogan competition and a poster design competition for primary and secondary school students under the Water Safety Campaign 2018 received awards at a ceremony today (June 23). The competitions were organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Hong Kong Life Saving Society (HKLSS), which hold activities every year to enhance public awareness of water safety.
 
     More than 2 000 students participated in the two competitions. The entries were impressive and showed the students’ creativity and artistic skills. The champion entries in the primary school sections of both competitions were chosen for this year’s campaign poster.
 
     Speaking at the ceremony, the Assistant Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Leisure Services), Mrs Doris Fok, said swimming is one of the most popular leisure activities in Hong Kong. There were more than 27 million visits to the public beaches and swimming pools managed by the LCSD last year.
 
     Mrs Fok added that the department provides various swimming facilities suitable for people of all ages, no matter if they are non-skilled or strong swimmers. She reminded members of the public to pay attention to the water depth indicators placed at the poolside and to consider their swimming ability and body height before getting in the water.
 
     Noting that there have been reports of serious injury caused by reckless jumps into pools with shallow water and also reports of drowning caused by careless entry into deep water, Mrs Fok said the theme of the two competitions is to urge swimmers that they should be aware of the pool depth before swimming for safety’s sake. In addition, the theme emphasises that incautious diving may cause accidents.
 
     Mrs Fok also appealed to beach-goers to only swim at beaches with lifeguard services and during the service hours. They should also stay out of the water when red flags are hoisted at beaches.
 
     Winning entries from the two competitions are now on display at Kowloon Park Arcade until 5pm on July 6. They can also be viewed on the LCSD webpages at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/swimhandbook/poster/index.html (poster design competition) and www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/swimhandbook/slogan/index.html (Chinese slogan competition).
 
     The Water Safety Campaign 2018 ceremony held at Kowloon Park Arcade was jointly organised by the LCSD and the HKLSS. Game stalls promoting water safety were set up at the entrance lobby of the Kowloon Park Swimming Pool spectator stand for public participation.

    

     The President of the Legislative Council (LegCo), Mr Andrew Leung, inspected the passing-out parade for 48 probationary inspectors and 275 recruit constables at the Hong Kong Police College today (June 23).    &nbsp… read more

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 (June 23) that due to i… read more

Police advise motorists that special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Sha Tin to facilitate the race meeting tomorrow (June 24). The arrangements will come into effect two hours before the start of the first race and will last until th… read more

     The Labour Department (LD) today (June 23) reminded employers to make prior work arrangements for staff in times of rainstorms as soon as possible.
 
     “To avoid disputes and confusion, employers should make prior work arrangements for staff and contingency measures in times of rainstorms,” an LD spokesman said.
 
     “In working out and enforcing the arrangements, employers should give prime consideration to employees’ safety both in the workplace and during their journeys to and from work, and adopt a flexible approach. Whenever possible, they should consult their staff.”
 
     The work arrangements should cover the following matters:
 
* Whether employees are required to report for duty when different rainstorm warnings are issued;
* After a rainstorm warning is cancelled, the time for staff who have not reported for duty to resume work and the arrangements;
* How wages and allowances (if any) will be calculated for staff who are required to report for duty and those who are late for work or absent from work during rainstorms; and
* For employees who are required to travel to and from workplaces during rainstorms, whether transport facilities will be provided to them and, if so, the arrangements.
 
     “Employers should make realistic assessments of the requirements for essential staff and require only absolutely essential staff to report for duty in adverse weather conditions. If an Amber, Red or Black Rainstorm Warning is issued during working hours, employees working indoors should remain on duty as usual and stay where they are unless it is dangerous to do so. Supervisors of employees working outdoors in exposed areas should suspend outdoor duties as soon as practicable. They should arrange for their employees to take shelter temporarily and resume duty when weather conditions permit. When the Black Rainstorm Warning is issued, those employees should not resume duty until the warning is lowered and weather conditions permit. If the Black Rainstorm Warning remains in force at the end of working hours, for safety reasons, employers should provide employees with an area in the workplace as temporary shelter for them to stay if they want to.
 
     “If possible, employers should provide transport services for employees who are still required to travel to and from workplaces when the Black Rainstorm Warning is in force, or give them a special travelling allowance as encouragement.
 
     “For staff who have practical difficulties in resuming work promptly upon cancellation of a rainstorm warning, employers should give due consideration to the circumstances of individual employees and handle each case flexibly.
 
     “As rainstorms are natural occurrences that cannot be avoided, employers should not deduct wages of employees who are absent from or late for work because of inclement weather. Neither should employers dismiss an employee summarily based on these grounds,” he said.
 
     The spokesman also reminded employers to observe the statutory liabilities and requirements under the Employment Ordinance, the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance and the Minimum Wage Ordinance.
 
     Employers should not deduct the annual leave, statutory holidays or rest days employees are entitled to under the Employment Ordinance so as to compensate for the loss of working hours resulting from employees’ failure to report for duty upon the announcement of a Black Rainstorm Warning. An employer who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with relevant provisions under the Employment Ordinance is liable to prosecution.
 
     Employers should also note that they have an obligation to maintain a safe workplace for their employees under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance.
 
     “If employees are required to work in times of rainstorms, employers should ensure that the risks at work are properly controlled and reduced to levels that are as low as reasonably practicable,” the spokesman said.
 
     Under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, employers are liable to pay compensation for deaths or injuries incurred when employees are travelling by a direct route from their residences to workplaces, or from workplaces back to residences after work, four hours before or after working hours on a day when Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above or a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning is in force.
 
     To provide practical guidelines and samples of work arrangements for the reference of employers and employees, the LD has issued the booklet “Code of Practice in times of Typhoons and Rainstorms”. The code can be obtained from the branch offices of the Labour Relations Division or downloaded from the department’s webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf). read more