Hong Kong's labour authorities have expanded heat stress monitoring to 10 sites for faster alerts to safeguard outdoor workers. Deputy Commissioner for Labour Vincent Fung Hao-yin announced on Monday the incorporation of data from the Observatory's eight new stations. The enhancement takes effect next Monday.
Hong Kong’s labour authorities have expanded heat stress monitoring to include data from 10 sites, enabling faster alerts to better safeguard outdoor workers.
Deputy Commissioner for Labour Vincent Fung Hao-yin said on Monday that the department would incorporate data from the Observatory’s newly added monitoring stations at eight sites across the city. The move provides a more accurate picture of heat stress levels for issuing warnings, advising outdoor workers to take breaks of at least 15 minutes.
The Hong Kong Heat Index previously relied on data combining temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation from detectors at King’s Park Meteorological Station and along the Beas River in Sheung Shui.
New detectors have been added at the Observatory’s headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui, as well as in Chek Lap Kok, Happy Valley, Kowloon Bay, Sha Tin, Wetland Park in Tin Shui Wai, Wong Chuk Hang and Kau Sai Chau, an island off Sai Kung. With the enhancement taking effect next Monday, the Labour Department will use data from the new locations when assessing heat warnings.