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Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
Here is an item of interest to swimmers.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (Jul 12) that due to inclement weather, the red flag has been hoisted at Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.
The Financial Secretary has, under the authority delegated by the Chief Executive, appointed two new Convenors and one new member to the Financial Reporting Review Panel (FRRP) and re-appointed nine incumbent members for a term of three years from July 16, 2024, to July 15, 2027.
The appointments and re-appointments, made in accordance with the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council Ordinance (Cap. 588) (AFRC Ordinance), are:
New Convenors
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Mr William Lo Chi-chung
Professor Phyllis Mo Lai-lan
New member
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Mr Mak Kwong-fai
Re-appointed Members
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Ms Bella Chhoa Peck-lim
Ms Caroline Chiu Su-yuen
Ms Irene Chu Ngar-yee
Mr Benny Chung Koon-chung
Ms Bernardine Lam Sin-yu
Mr Gilbert Lee Man-lung
Ms Alva Lee Yi-ling
Mr Benjamin Lo Man-chuen
Mr Simon Ng Wing-fai
A spokesman for the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau today (July 12) said, "The Accounting and Financial Reporting Council (AFRC) is a key regulator for corporate governance of companies listed in Hong Kong. One of the statutory functions of the AFRC is to initiate enquiries concerning non-compliance with legal, accounting or regulatory requirements in a listed entity's financial reports.
"The FRRP, a statutory body established under the AFRC Ordinance, is indispensable to the discharge of the AFRC's statutory functions of enquiries. The work of the FRRP will benefit from the rich experience and professional knowledge of the members."
"We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation to the five outgoing Convenors and six outgoing members for their valuable contribution to the work of the FRRP in the past years," the spokesman added.
When an enquiry case arises, the AFRC may appoint one Convenor and four or more members from the FRRP to form a Financial Reporting Review Committee which will enquire into the relevant non-compliance of the case. The Committee will submit an enquiry report on the case to the AFRC for consideration and, where appropriate, follow-up action.
The EatSmart School Accreditation Scheme (ESAS) under the EatSmart@school.hk (ESS) campaign, has been jointly organised by the Department of Health (DH) and the Education Bureau (EDB) since the 2009/10 school year. The ESAS has long received full support from the education sector. So far, over 100 schools have attained the accreditation of EatSmart School, the highest honour in the ESAS, to promote healthy eating on campus, and encourage and cultivate students to develop healthy eating habits to safeguard their health in the long run.
The ESAS is one of the key programmes under the ESS campaign. According to the accreditation criteria of the ESAS, accredited schools have to demonstrate a commitment to continuously implement administrative measures, providing healthy lunches and snacks in accordance with the nutritional requirements stipulated in the "Nutritional Guidelines on Lunch for Students" and the "Nutritional Guidelines on Snacks for Students" of the DH, and organising educational programmes and publicity events to create a nutrition-friendly learning environment for students.
Over 290 primary schools and special schools have participated in the ESAS since its inception. Among them, 132 have attained accreditation, of which 103 have achieved the honour of EatSmart School. The school accreditation is valid for three years. Eight of the accredited schools attained the EatSmart School accreditation for the fifth consecutive time and were presented with the Award for Continuous Promotion of Healthy Eating at School this year. To recognise their efforts, representatives of the Health Promotion Branch (HPB) of the DH visited the schools accredited in the 2023/24 school year in June to present the awards and share tips for creating an environment conducive to healthy eating for students. For details about the ESAS Awards Presentation 2024, please visit school.eatsmart.gov.hk/en/content_esas.aspx?id=6116.
In addition, the campaign's Joyful Fruit Month event and the Salt Reduction Scheme for School Lunches have both received widespread support from stakeholders. In the 2023/24 school year, a record-breaking total of 1 657 kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools and special schools participated in the Joyful Fruit Month event. For the Salt Reduction Scheme for School Lunches, 12 participating school lunch suppliers have provided sodium-reduced school lunch options for about 500 primary schools in Hong Kong.
The Head of the HPB of the DH, Dr Leung Yiu-hong, said that schools, parents and lunch suppliers play vital roles in developing healthy eating habits among students, and stakeholders are advised to adopt a low-sodium eating routine at school and at home cohesively, and encourage students to consume a sufficient amount of vegetables and fruits every day.
Dr Leung added that the support and guidance of the EDB and steering committee members of the campaign over the years have been key to the smooth running of the campaign in the past 18 years. He also expressed his sincere gratitude for the active participation and support of principals, teachers, parents and students from different schools, as well as the co-operation of food suppliers. He appealed to all parties to continue their support for the campaign and help nurture a nutrition-friendly environment of learning and living for students.
More information on the campaign is available at the DH's thematic website (school.eatsmart.gov.hk).
​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.
A woman who went missing in Kwun Tong has been located.
Chan Chak-kwai, aged 33, went missing after she left her caring home on Fuk Tong Road on July 9 afternoon. Staff of the caring home made a report to Police on the next day (July 10).
The woman returned to the caring home yesterday (July 11) afternoon. She sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.