Hong Kong lowers heat stress warning system thresholds after calls for revamp

Hong Kong labour authorities have unveiled changes to the system that sends out warnings to workers about overexertion during very hot weather, reducing thresholds so higher-tier alerts can be issued more easily following intense criticism of the mechanism.The Labour Department said on Thursday that two new conditions would be introduced to the Heat Stress at Work Warning system from Friday.The system has three warning levels – amber, red and black – which alert employers and staff to the severity of heat stress if they are working outdoors or indoors without air conditioning.