The Labour Department has changed the Heat Stress at Work Warning (“HSWW”) system following concerns that its thresholds did not adequately reflect severe conditions.
On 9 August 2026, the Hong Kong Observatory recorded 36.9C, the highest temperature since records began in 1884, but the HSWW did not rise above Amber, the lowest of the three warning levels. The incident renewed debate over whether the Hong Kong Heat Index, which is intended as a general heat-stress indicator, is sufficiently tailored to workplace exposure.
The HSWW is based on (i) the Hong Kong Heat Index (“HKHI”), which includes data such as environmental temperature, humidity, air flow, and solar radiation levels; (ii) measured temperatures across Hong Kong; and (iii) the Hong Kong Observatory’s “Extremely Hot” Special Alert.
The HSWW adopts the following three warning levels:
With effect from 28 August 2026, the HSWW has been enhanced to introduce two new triggering conditions aimed at better safeguarding the occupational health of employees working in hot weather or high-temperature environments. The two new triggering conditions:
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