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
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 9) 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
Owing to the thunderstorm warning, the flag-raising ceremony to be conducted at Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai at 8am today (June 9) will be cancelled. If the thunderstorm warning is cancelled and … read more
​Hong Kong Customs detected a dangerous drugs internal concealment case involving two incoming passengers at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 2.2 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $2 million on June 6.
A 34-year-old male passenger and 38-year-old female passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on June 6. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found them to be suspicious, and suspected that they had dangerous drugs concealed inside their body cavities. They were then escorted to hospital for examination.
While waiting for examination in the hospital, the man discharged pellets of suspected cocaine in the washroom. He was arrested immediately. Upon examination, the woman was confirmed by a doctor not to have foreign objects concealed inside her body cavity. Suspecting that she was in connection with the case, she was arrested accordingly. As at 3pm today (June 8), the arrested man has excreted 201 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 2.2kg in total.
Upon investigation, the arrested persons have been jointly charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts on June 10.
Following the resumption of normal travel and exchanges with the Mainland and other parts of the world, the number of visitors to Hong Kong has also been increasing steadily. Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
​The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) today (June 8) held its Annual Donor Award Ceremony to commend outstanding regular blood donors. The BTS also announced that a total of 3 908 donors gave blood 25 times or in its multiples in 2023/24, which breaks the BTS record for two consecutive years. On behalf of all patients who have received blood transfusion treatment, the BTS would like to express its sincerest gratitude to all the enthusiastic blood donors.
The officiating guests of award presentation included the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee; the President of the Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC), Mr George Joseph Ho; the Chairperson of the HKRC, Dr Lau Chor-chiu; the Chairman of the BTS Hospital Governing Committee, Mr Ignatius Chan; and the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Tony Ko, etc.
Dr Lee said, “A steady supply of blood is getting more crucial when the demand for healthcare services is growing with an ageing population. I particularly welcomed the BTS’ strategy in enlisting the youth community as a new force for blood donation and urged blood donors to engage their family and friends in making it a habit to donate blood. The Government would continue to give full support to blood donation activities, including holding another blood donation event at the Central Government Offices next week with participation of government staff to appeal more businesses and organisations in organising blood donation activities.”
Dr Ko stated that, “A sustainable and stable blood supply is of utmost importance to the healthcare system. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all blood donors across Hong Kong, whose donations have enabled patients to receive appropriate blood transfusion treatments. The HA has been strongly supportive of blood donation activities, and many healthcare professionals are outstanding blood donors who are dedicated to safeguarding patients’ wellbeing both at work and in their personal lives.”
Dr Lau reiterated that the BTS has been continuously promoting the recruitment of young blood donors by visiting various universities and secondary schools to organise campus blood donation activities, with the aim of cultivating a habit of regular blood donation among the youth. He hopes to see more young faces at the blood donation award ceremony in the future.
A total of 126 400 donors donated nearly 213 000 units of blood, turning into over 342 800 units of blood products for clinical treatment after they underwent processing and testing at the various laboratories of the BTS this year.
In addition to individual donation awards, Elite Partnership Awards were presented to following corporate, community and academic partners, in recognition of their enthusiastic support and remarkable achievements for blood donation. The respective winners are:
Elite Partnership Award – Corporate Partners
