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Effective June 7, 2026, Hong Kong's Labour Department launched a three-tier Heat Stress at Work Warning system (Amber, Red, Black) based on the Hong Kong Heat Index. When any warning level is active, employers must conduct risk assessments, evaluate workloads for outdoor and non-air-conditioned indoor workers, and provide appropriate hourly rest breaks. Employers must implement control measures including rescheduling work, installing shading, providing ventilation equipment, and ensuring water and rest access. Employees must follow rest break instructions and report heat-related symptoms immediately.
Effective June 7, 2026, Hong Kong's Labour Department launched a three-tier Heat Stress at Work Warning system that requires employers to implement mandatory heat stroke prevention measures when warnings are active. The system uses the Hong Kong Heat Index to trigger Amber, Red, or Black warning levels, each requiring employers to conduct risk assessments, evaluate workloads, and provide hourly rest breaks for workers in outdoor or non-air-conditioned indoor environments.
Who is affected
All employers in Hong Kong with workers in outdoor settings or non-air-conditioned indoor workplaces must comply with the new requirements. The system applies to all company sizes and industries where employees face elevated heat stroke risk due to their work environment. Individual employees working in these conditions are also subject to new obligations under the warning system.
What's changing
Before June 7, 2026, Hong Kong had no mandatory heat stress warning system or legally required rest break protocols tied to heat conditions. Starting June 7, 2026, when any Heat Stress at Work Warning level is active, employers must:
- Conduct risk assessments using criteria in the Labour Department's "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work"
- Evaluate workloads and heat stress risk factors for affected employees
- Arrange appropriate rest breaks every hour for workers in outdoor or non-air-conditioned indoor environments
- Implement control measures including rescheduling work periods, installing shading covers, providing ventilation and heat dissipation equipment, and ensuring water and rest access
Employees must follow rest break instructions and immediately report heat-related symptoms (headache, dizziness, thirst, nausea) to their employer or supervisor, then rest in a cool location and drink water.
What NEO partners and clients should do
- By June 7, 2026: Review the Labour Department's "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work" and establish written protocols for responding to each warning level (Amber, Red, Black)
- By June 7, 2026: Identify all employees working outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor environments and develop risk assessment procedures for these roles
- By June 7, 2026: Implement systems to monitor Heat Stress at Work Warning announcements and communicate warning levels to affected employees and supervisors in real time
- Ongoing from June 7, 2026: Train supervisors to recognize heat-related symptoms and enforce hourly rest break requirements when warnings are active
