Hong Kong labour department records 93 heat-stress injury cases in three years
Hong Kong's labour department recorded 93 heat-stress-related workplace injuries over the past three years, with no fatalities, according to Secretary for Labour and Welfare Sun Yuping. The department will adjust enforcement efforts in response to rising heat stress from climate change.
Hong Kong Secretary for Labour and Welfare Sun Yuping has disclosed that the Labour Department registered 93 heat-stress-related workplace injury cases over the past three years, with 31 cases in 2023, 29 in 2024 and 33 in 2025. No fatalities were recorded during the period.
In a written reply to a lawmaker's query, Sun said that more than 60 of these cases had been resolved through compensation payments by employers or through settlements between employers and employees. A total of 17 cases were withdrawn or not pursued further by employees. Seven cases remain under processing, while one case falls outside the scope of the Employees' Compensation Ordinance.
From 2023 to 2025, the Labour Department conducted more than 20,000 surprise inspections each summer targeting heat-stress risk control measures. The inspections resulted in 993 warning letters in 2023, 1,031 in 2024 and 708 in 2025. The letters were issued primarily for failing to conduct risk assessments in line with the Guidelines on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work, failing to maintain assessment records, or failing to implement adequate preventive measures to reduce the risk of heat stroke among workers. No serious violations were detected during the inspections.
Sun expressed confidence that most employers recognise the need to prevent heat stroke among workers and are willing to cooperate in adopting necessary preventive measures. He noted that in view of climate change, which is expected to bring more frequent and more intense heat-stress conditions, the Labour Department will adjust the intensity of its surprise inspections and review whether the threshold for enforcement action needs to be modified.