Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, departs for Dunhuang today (June 3), to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Dunhuang Youth Internship Programme 2024.

     The Dunhuang Youth Internship Programme is one of the projects under the Thematic Youth Internship Programmes to the Mainland, providing internship positions for Hong Kong youths at the Dunhuang Academy, allowing them to gain unique work experience under the guidance of experts from the Academy, participate in the promotion of Dunhuang culture, and deepen their understanding of Chinese culture. Miss Mak will officiate at the inauguration ceremony of the internship programme on June 5 and exchange views with the participants.

     During her visit in Dunhuang, Miss Mak will meet with leaders of the Dunhuang Academy, visit the Academy’s facilities, observe the intern’s cave-learning activities, and learn about heritage conservation work and the internship programme.

     After attending the inauguration ceremony, Miss Mak will commence her visit to Chengdu to exchange views with representatives of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government and learn about the city’s community projects.

     â€‹Miss Mak will return to Hong Kong on June 6. During her absence, the Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung, will act as the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs.
 

  

     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 3) 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 Adverse Weather and ‘Extreme Conditions'” 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. read more

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 … read more

     Owing to the thunderstorm warning, the flag-raising ceremony to be conducted at Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai at 8am today (June 3) will be cancelled.      If the thunderstorm warning is cancelled and … read more

     A Government spokesman said today (June 2) that due to the road subsidence at the junction of Hai Tan Street and Kweilin Street in Sham Shui Po, the section of Hai Tan Street (Lai Chi Kok bound) between Yen Chow Street and Kweilin Street is now completely closed to traffic. Project teams of the Water Supplies Department (WSD) and the Drainage Services Department (DSD) are making all-out efforts in carrying out emergency repair. It is expected that temporary repair work for the fast lane of the affected section will be completed before midnight tonight and will be reopened to traffic by 6am tomorrow (June 3).

     The WSD’s project team is sparing no effort in carrying out permanent repair work for the remaining lane being affected and striving for reopening the Lai Chi Kok bound slow lane of Hai Tan Street between Yen Chow Street and Kweilin Street before morning rush hours on June 5. Thereafter, the WSD will arrange for permanent repair work for the fast lane which has resumed traffic temporarily and the work is expected to be completed before morning rush hours on June 7.

     The Transport Department (TD) will timely update the traffic conditions and arrangements through various channels, including the TD’s mobile application “HKeMobility” and website.

     The road subsidence covers an area of about eight metres x 12 metres and is about four metres in depth. Within the area, a sewer pipe (about 225 millimetres in diameter) and a stormwater drain (about 300 millimetres in diameter) located about two metres below the ground have been partially damaged. The DSD has implemented temporary measures for interception and arranged a pump truck for temporary collection of sewage to ensure the operation of relevant drainage and sewer facilities. The DSD also plans to reinstate the two sections of drainage pipes in due course after the completion of the emergency repair work of the road.

     The Buildings Department (BD) has also deployed staff to inspect buildings in the vicinity of the scene of the road subsidence. After inspection, the BD considered there was no obvious danger to the overall building structure of these buildings.

     In order to further understand whether other underground facilities have been affected by the road subsidence, the WSD has arranged for professionals to review the underground conditions with radar detection on nearby roads and no road subsidence has been found in the vicinity so far.
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     The WSD, the DSD and the Highways Department are conducting a joint investigation on the cause of the road subsidence. It is preliminarily assessed that recent heavy rains may have intensified soil erosion, which may be one of the causes of road subsidence. Relevant departments will continue to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth investigation.   read more