Hong Kong signals plan to classify heatstroke as occupational disease

Hong Kong's Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum has signalled the government's willingness to classify heatstroke as an occupational disease, a move that could strengthen protections for workers exposed to extreme temperatures.

Hui disclosed that retrospective modelling of the city's revised Heat Stress at Work Warning system demonstrated it would have issued a black warning on August 8 and a red alert on August 9. The August 9 temperature of 36.9 degrees Celsius recorded at the Observatory's headquarters marked the highest reading since records began in 1884. Hui made the remarks during a television programme on Sunday.

Revamped warning system and worker protections

The heat stress warning system operates on three levels, amber, red and black, and provides guidance to employers on rest arrangements for outdoor workers and those in indoor environments without air conditioning. An amber signal indicates significant heat stress and advises employers to arrange additional rest periods. The black warning represents the highest alert level, requiring workers performing heavy or very heavy labour to suspend work.

The acknowledgment that the revamped system would have triggered stronger warnings during last month's record-breaking heat underscores the potential gap in worker protection under the previous framework. Classifying heatstroke as an occupational disease would likely establish clearer employer liability and compensation pathways for affected workers, though Hui did not provide a timeline or detailed framework for the proposed classification.

Source: South China Morning Post