Hong Kong has issued the first amber signal under the city’s heat-warning system this year, with authorities urging outdoor workers and those in areas without air-conditioning to take precautions against the risks of heatstroke.
The warning came into effect at 11.50am on Wednesday amid temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 Fahrenheit) or higher in some parts of the city, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
The Labour Department told workers and companies to be on guard amid the conditions.
“The Labour Department reminds employers and employees to take appropriate measures during the effective period of the warning to prevent heatstroke when working in hot weather or hot environments,” it said.
“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.”
Under the three-tier heat stress warning system first developed last year, an amber signal is issued once the heat index hits 30 and is upgraded to red or black if the figure reaches 32 or 34.
The department’s guidelines recommend employees stop working for 15 to 45 minutes every hour whenever a heat alert is issued.
The system was revamped under a set of revised guidelines implemented last month to prevent sudden and disruptive shifts in signals that left some employees confused last summer. A case last year involved an amber warning being issued, cancelled and reissued within two hours.
Under the revised arrangement, authorities would observe the moving average of the heat index for a longer period – from 30 minutes to an hour – to ensure there was a trend of temperatures falling before cancelling the warning.
