More red lines to shield students from heat

Students should avoid vigorous physical activities outdoors when the temperature reaches 33 degrees Celsius, the Education Bureau said yesterday in a latest round of safety guidelines.

In updating the guidelines on physical education to schools the bureau reminded teachers to stay vigilant during extremely hot weather and prevent prolonged outdoor activities.

And when the "very hot weather warning" is in force or there is prolonged heat teachers are told to stop an activity if students experience dizziness, headache, nausea and shortness of breath. And they should seek help and medical advice as soon as possible.

The bureau also reminded teachers to "schedule outdoor activities in the morning or later in the afternoon as far as possible" and in extreme hot weather "vigorous physical activities should be avoided."

Schools are reminded to pay attention to information and warnings issued by the Hong Kong Observatory and the Environmental Protection Department, including the air quality health index along with levels of hot or cold weather and "decide whether scheduled activities/competitions should be adjusted, postponed or cancelled."

The guidelines for schools and students came amid a series of government policy adjustments to prevent heat-related health problems.

The Labor Department has just introduced new guidelines on prevention of heat stroke and heat stress at work.

The system consists of a three-tier warning system, where an amber warning represents a high level of heat stress, a red one represents a very high level of heat stress, and a black warning indicates an extremely high level of heat stress.

Employers must assess risk factors of heat stroke in workplaces, such as natural ventilation and setting up indoor facilities for hourly rest time given to employees.

Employers also have to plan emergency responses to heat-related problems to ensure employees working in hot environments can receive adequate support.

The Labour Department also advises employees to "follow the instructions to take rest as scheduled and avoid skipping rest periods to finish work early" to prevent heat stroke.