As the rainstorm warning has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and contractors that they should adopt necessary work arrangements and take suitable safety measures to protect the safety of their employees when they are carrying out electrical work or handling electrical plant.

     A spokesman for the LD said today (June 13) that employers and contractors should avoid assigning employees to carry out electrical work (like electric arc welding work) or handle electrical plant at places affected by rainstorms, and should refer to the "Code of Practice in times of Typhoons and Rainstorms" and the "Guide on Safety at Work in times of Inclement Weather" issued by the LD.

     Even if electrical work is carried out or electrical plant is handled at places not affected by the rainstorm, suitable safety measures must still be adopted to prevent electric shock as the air would be more humid. Such measures include:

(i) Ensure that all live parts of an electrical installation are isolated from the power supply source and rendered dead, and the isolation from the power supply source must be maintained as long as electrical work is being carried out;

(ii) Before carrying out any electrical work or handling any electrical plant, cut off and lock out the power supply source, then test the circuit concerned to confirm it is dead and display suitable warning notices, and issue a work permit thereafter;

(iii) Ensure that protective devices (such as suitable and adequate fuses and circuit breakers) for the electrical installations or electrical plant have been installed and maintained in good working order, and portable electric tools must be double-insulated or properly earthed;

(iv) Provide suitable personal protective equipment such as insulating gloves and insulating mats for employees; and

(v) If live electrical work is unavoidable, a comprehensive risk assessment should be conducted by a competent person and the appropriate safety precautions should be taken to remove or properly control the electrical hazards involved before such work can proceed.

     In addition, employees should co-operate with the employer or contractor to follow the safety instructions and use the safety equipment provided.

     The LD has published guidebooks and leaflets on electrical work safety. These safety publications are available free from divisional offices of the department or can be downloaded from its website (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/content2_8.htm).

     Should there be any questions about occupational safety and health matters, please contact the Occupational Safety Officer of the LD at 2559 2297.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     Members of the public are advised to report any street flooding that comes to their notice to the Drainage Services Department by calling the 24-hour drainage hotline on 2300 1110.

     The Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) and the Highways Department (HyD) are highly concerned about the recent media enquiries and reports on the construction of the To Kwa Wan Station under the Shatin to Central Link (SCL) project.
      
     After learning of the incident on June 5, the HyD requested the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) on June 5 and 7 to provide relevant information of the incident.  The THB also required the MTRCL to provide details of the incident as soon as possible.
      
     According to the written reply from the MTRCL to the HyD on June 8, their contractor did not follow the construction drawings to carry out part of the works for the reinforced concrete wall adjacent to the staircases at the To Kwa Wan Station platform. The MTRCL stated that they had already required the contractor for an explanation and rectification as soon as possible. The contractor is also required to submit follow-up and remedial plans for MTRCL's consideration. However, the MTRCL's reply did not contain information such as the extent of the wall in question, the cause of the incident, the supervision of works and the impact on the structure, etc.
      
     The HyD wrote to the MTRCL on June 11 again expressing dissatisfaction that the incident was not reported to the HyD timely. The HyD was disappointed and considered it unacceptable that the MTRCL could not identify the relevant problem during its supervision of the works.  The HyD has required the MTRCL to submit a report within a week (i.e. on or before June 18) with detailed explanation of the cause of the incident and rectification plan.

     The first Belt and Road Joint Conference was convened in Beijing today (June 12) by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council (HKMAO) as well as other relevant central ministries.  The Joint Conference mechanism was agreed at the meeting, at which the strategy for promoting Hong Kong’s full participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and the work priorities for the year were also discussed.

     The Vice Chairman of the NDRC, Mr Ning Jizhe, attended today’s Joint Conference on the HKSAR Government’s account of and suggestions of participation in the Belt and Road Initiative.  Other central ministries in attendance included the HKMAO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Commerce, the People's Bank of China, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, etc.  Relevant ministries noted at the meeting that co-operation with the HKSAR Government in the areas of finance and investment; legal and dispute resolution services; construction and works related services; project interfacing; and investment promotion would be deepened.

     The HKSAR Government officials attending today’s meeting were the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip; the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan; and officials from the Development Bureau and Invest Hong Kong.  Representatives of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Insurance Authority and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council were also present.

     Ms Cheng said the HKSAR Government attached great importance to the Belt and Road development, and hoped that the relevant central ministries would support Hong Kong to provide international legal and dispute resolution services on Belt and Road.

     At the Joint Conference, relevant ministries also discussed how Hong Kong would develop green finance and insurance services related to the Belt and Road, and ways to encourage Mainland enterprises to use Hong Kong as the base to “go global”, as well as strengthen collaboration in project interfacing.

     Mr Yau pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative was a key impetus in driving Hong Kong’s future social and economic development.  The HKSAR Government would strive to take forward the Initiative, and would make the most of the Belt and Road Joint Conference mechanism to strengthen communication, collaboration and mutual support with the central authorities. As the key link for the Belt and Road, Hong Kong would leverage its advantages in meeting the country's needs.

     The establishment of the Joint Conference mechanism was set out in the Arrangement between the NDRC and the HKSAR Government for Advancing Hong Kong’s Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative signed by the HKSAR Government and the NDRC last December. At today’s meeting, it was agreed that the Joint Conference would be convened at least once a year as a platform for regular and direct communication.

  

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (June 12) investigating a suspected case of food poisoning related to the consumption of wild mushrooms, and urged the public not to pick and eat wild mushrooms.

     The three patients, a man and two women aged 37 to 58, developed symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting about two to three hours after consuming mushrooms at home yesterday (June 11). They attended the Accident and Emergency Department of United Christian Hospital on the same day and did not require hospitalisation. They are in stable condition.
 
     Initial investigations revealed that the patients had consumed wild mushrooms picked from the roadside near Laguna Park in Kwun Tong yesterday. The CHP's investigation is ongoing.
 
     "Members of the public should not pick wild mushrooms for consumption as it is difficult to distinguish edible mushroom species from inedible ones," a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     "Mushroom poisoning is generally acute. Common presentations include gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain appearing shortly after ingestion. Depending on the mushroom species, patients may also have other symptoms like profuse sweating, hallucination, coma or other neurological symptoms, as well as liver failure. Death may result in severe cases," he added.
 
     "If mushroom poisoning is suspected, the patient should seek immediate medical attention and bring along any available remnant for identification," the spokesman said.