Author Archives: hksar gov

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Tin Sum in the small hours today (December 21) in which a 24-year-old man died.      At about 0.18am, a private car driven by the 24-year-old… read more

     In response to media enquiries today (December 20) about the arrangement of enquiry letters to electors issued by the Registration and Electoral Office (REO), a spokesman for the REO gives the following reply:  &nb… read more

     The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about the work accident that happened in a private estate in Sai Ying Pun this afternoon (December 20), in which a female worker fell from a planter to the ground while performing plant pruning work, who was certified dead upon arrival in hospital. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker in the accident and expresses its deepest sympathy to the victim’s family.
 
     The LD’s spokesman said, “We commenced immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident. We issued suspension notices to the contractor concerned and the property management company of the estate to suspend all work on the planters. They cannot resume the work process until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken.”
 
     The spokesman added, “We will complete investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation.”
 
     The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the above provisions are liable to a fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for six months.
 
    In regard to today’s accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers’ unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent recurrence of similar accidents.
 
     The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees’ compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees’ compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.
 
     For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers. read more

     Police advise motorists that special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Sha Tin to facilitate the race meeting tomorrow (December 21).      The arrangements will come into effect two ho… read more

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (December 20) urged the public not to consume a batch of prepackaged chilled smoked salmon imported from France due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogen. The trade should stop using or selling the batch of the product concerned immediately if they possess it.

     Product details are as follows:

Product name: Saumon Fume Ecosse T. Main Ficelle
Place of origin: France
Net weight: 1.8 kilograms per pack
Best-before date: December 31, 2019

     “The CFS received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that the above-mentioned batch of the product might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and was being recalled. According to the information provided by the RASFF, a local importer, Classic Fine Foods (Hong Kong) Limited, had imported some of the affected batch of the product into Hong Kong,” a spokesman for the CFS said.

     The CFS immediately contacted the importer concerned for follow-up. Preliminary investigation found that the importer had imported some of the affected batch of the product, and some of the product had been distributed. The importer has initiated a recall according to the CFS’ instructions. Enquiries about the recall can be made to the importer’s hotline at 2612 2066 during office hours.

     “Listeria monocytogenes can be easily destroyed by cooking but can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperature. Most healthy individuals do not develop symptoms or only have mild symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea when infected. However, severe complications such as septicaemia, meningitis or even death may occur in newborns, the elderly and those with a weaker immune system. Although infected pregnant women may just experience mild symptoms generally, the infection of Listeria monocytogenes may cause miscarriage, infant death, preterm birth, or severe infection in newborns,” the spokesman said.

     The spokesman urged consumers not to consume the affected batch of the product if they have bought any. The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately if they possess it.

     The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing. read more