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 (July 19) that the shark prevention net at Big Wave Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island, has been repaired and the beach has been reopened.

     The beach was temporarily closed earlier on for shark prevention net maintenance work.

     However, due to big waves, the red flag is still hoisted at the beach. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about the work accident that happened at a construction site in Tsim Sha Tsui this morning (July 19), in which a male worker carrying out work on a scaffold inside a lift shaft died after falling from height. 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 and will issue suspension notices to the contractors involved to suspend any work inside lift shafts of the site. The contractors cannot resume the work until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risk 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 Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, safe plant and safe systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the above provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $500,000 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.
 

     A woman who went missing in Sha Tin has been located.

     Yuen Ka-mei, aged 38, went missing after she was last seen in a shopping mall on Sha Tin Station Circuit on July 17 afternoon. Her family made a report to Police on the same day.    

     The woman was located at Hong Kong International Airport in the small hours of this morning. (July 19).

     A car retailer was sentenced to carry out 100 hours of community service today (July 19) at Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts for supplying a second-hand vehicle with a false trade description, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).
 
     Hong Kong Customs earlier received information alleging that a second-hand car retailer had made a false claim to a consumer. After investigation, it was revealed that the retailer had supplied a second-hand vehicle bearing an odometer reading (travelling mileage) of 44,000 kilometres. Subsequently, it was confirmed that the vehicle's actual travelling mileage exceeded 130,000km.
 
     Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to procure products at reputable shops.
 
     Under the TDO, any person who supplies goods with a false trade description in the course of trade or business, or is in possession of any goods for sale with a false trade description, commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
 
     Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

     The Support and Consultation Centre for SMEs (SUCCESS) of the Trade and Industry Department will hold a seminar entitled "Opportunities and Challenges of Emerging E-Commerce in the ASEAN Region" on July 26 (Thursday).
 
     The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one of Hong Kong's most important trading partners. Hong Kong has also signed a Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN recently. With the vibrant development of e-commerce, entering the ASEAN market through e-commerce is a very viable option for small and medium enterprises. This seminar will explore the opportunities and challenges of emerging e-commerce in the ASEAN region, including the use of big data. The seminar has invited guests to share experience of running e-commerce in the ASEAN region and e-commerce platforms for entering the market. The seminar will also further introduce the Government's measures to expand the coverage of the Enterprise Support Programme (ESP) under the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund) to ASEAN markets.
 
     The speakers will include the Chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of E-Commerce, Mr Joseph Yuen; the Chief Data Scientist of the Hong Kong Federation of E-Commerce, Dr Victor Hung; the Founder of Viewider Limited, Mr Jun Yeung; the Junior Vice President of Zilingo, Mr Ian Tam; and a representative of the Secretariat of the BUD Fund (ESP).
 
     The seminar will be held at 2.30pm in the Lecture Theatre, G/F, Hong Kong Central Library, 66 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay (MTR Tin Hau Station, Exit B). The seminar will be conducted in Cantonese. Admission is free.
 
     Those interested are invited to register with SUCCESS by July 25 (Wednesday). Please visit the SUCCESS website (www.success.tid.gov.hk/tid/eng/activity/activity.jsp) for details of the seminar and online registration. The registration form can also be downloaded from the SUCCESS website. Please send the completed registration form to SUCCESS by fax (2391 7375). Due to limited seating capacity, seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
     For enquiries, please call 3403 6111.