• 11/10/2024

Hong Kong urged to review heat stress warning system as street cleaners show signs of heat stroke at work

Hong Kong Free Press

Street cleaner hot

The Hong Kong government should review its Heat Stress at Work Warning system to better reflect the effects of sweltering heat on street cleaners and other outdoor workers, an NGO has said.

Pattie, a 55 years old female cleaner, works in the New Territories for about twelve years. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A street cleaner in Hong Kong. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Changes should be introduced to the three-tier warning system that aimed to help employees and workers assess the level of heat stress when working outdoors or in areas without air conditioning, Concern for Grassroots’ Livelihood Alliance said on Wednesday.

The group interviewed 93 street cleaners in Mong Kok earlier this month on the implementation of the Heat Stress at Work Warning system rolled out in May last year. The warning system managed by the Labour Department was based on the Hong Kong Heat Index and the Extremely Hot alert issued by the Hong Kong Observatory.

Ninety per cent of the street cleaners interviewed said they had experienced tiredness, thirst, headaches, dizziness, rises in body temperature and nausea while working, despite the provision of portable fans by their employers. Employers also provided sleeves, hat and drinking water to more than 80 per cent of the interviewees.

 Heat Stress at Work Warning. Photo: Labour Department website screenshot.
Heat Stress at Work Warning. Photo: Labour Department website screenshot.

According to the Labour Department, employers should adopt effective heat stroke prevention measures to alleviate employees’ risk of heat stress when the Heat Stress at Work Warning is in place, although none of it is mandatory.

Physical workload, risk factors that increase heat stress, and measures taken to reduce heat stress affect the hourly rest periods workers are offered. The Labour Department suggested that an outdoor worker with moderate workload, such as a cleaner, should receive a 15-minute break for every 45 minutes of work when the amber Heat Stress at Work Warning was hoisted.

See also: 3 outdoor workers on how Hong Kong’s extreme heat and humidity take their toll

An outdoor worker with “very heavy” physical workload should suspend their work under the red warning, the department recommended. Work should also be halted for those with heavy and very heavy workload when the black alert was in force.

As of July 14, Hong Kong had issued the amber Heat Stress at Work warning 96 times. The city had not hoisted a higher warning so far, despite having recorded the hottest day of the year last month when temperatures reached 34.4 degrees Celsius. The longest duration for the amber warning to remain hoisted was nine hours on July 7.

Hourly rest arrangements for outdoor work in times of Heat Stress at Work Warning. Photo: Labour Department website screenshot.
Hourly rest arrangements for outdoor work in times of Heat Stress at Work Warning. Photo: Labour Department website screenshot.

Under the existing guidelines, employers may reduce employees’ recommended hourly rest time by 15 minutes if ventilation is increased on site. Rest periods can also be shorted if employers provide blowers, misting fans, portable fans or other heat dissipation devices to improve air flow, according to the Labour Department’s guidelines.

Among the street cleaners interviewed, 47 said the guidelines did not provide sufficient protection to their health. Citing interviewees who had displayed symptoms of heat stroke, social worker Chloe Au of the alliance said the warning system did not directly reflect the effects of prolonged exposure to extreme heat on the health of workers.

She said if the Heat Stress at Work Warning remained in place for an extended period of time, it should automatically trigger an upgrade. For instance, if the amber warning is hoisted for long enough, it should be raised to red alert.

cleaner sanitation worker
A Hong Kong sanitation worker. Photo: Oxfam Hong Kong.

“This can provide more comprehensive protection for street cleaners who spend long periods of time working outdoors,” Au said in Cantonese.

The survey found that 60 per cent of the respondents wear face masks at work. More than 60 per cent of the interviewees said it was “difficult” to engage in physical work with their face covered.

Kwong Chi-chung, who conducted the survey, said some cleaners said their work uniforms were made up of quick drying fabric. But those materials made them feel uncomfortable and some even developed a rash, he said.

The alliance called on the authorities to review and adjust the workload of street cleaners, after close to 80 per cent of interviewees said they did not take rest in accordance with the guidelines. They cited reasons such as unfinished work and wanting to complete work earlier for why they did not take breaks despite the heat warnings.

“This shows although workers can arrange rest times on their own, they would still prioritise work and neglect the potential health impacts of working in the heat,” Kwong said in Cantonese.

The alliance added the government should consider adding the heat stroke prevention guidelines to a list of criteria for selecting its subcontractors. Those who wished to win the tender must pledge to implement measures specified in the guidelines to further protect the health of street cleaners, the NGO said.

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https://hongkongfp.com/2024/08/01/hong-kong-urged-to-review-heat-stress-warning-system-as-street-cleaners-show-signs-of-heat-stroke-at-work/