CE meets Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the visiting Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, Mr Nguyen Hoa Binh, at Government House today (September 11). Also attending the meeting were the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong; the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan; and the Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Nicholas Ho.
Mr Lee welcomed Mr Nguyen Hoa Binh's visit to Hong Kong with his delegation for the Ninth Belt and Road Summit. Mr Lee said that Hong Kong and Vietnam are important economic partners and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government values strengthening connections with Vietnam. During a recent visit to Vietnam of an HKSAR delegation led by him, Mr Lee witnessed the signing of a total of 30 memoranda of understanding covering areas such as economy and trade, education, and tourism.
Noting that Vietnam has experienced rapid economic developments in recent years,Mr Lee said that Hong Kong can act as a close partner with enterprises of Vietnam to explore overseas markets. He expressed his hope that Hong Kong and Vietnam will continue to explore opportunities for co-operation. Mr Lee extended his gratitude to Vietnam for its continuous support for Hong Kong's early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to further contribute to regional economic developments.
The Permanent Deputy Prime Minister expressed in the meeting that the relationship between Vietnam and Hong Kong has always been close, and he looks forward to closer exchanges between the two places in the future at both government and community levels, further benefiting the people of both places.
CE meets Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Employers, contractors and employees should be aware of electrical safety at work during rainstorm
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 (September 17) 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.
Source: AI-generated images
