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ARTICLE · 19 OCTOBER 2026

Record Heat Prompts Changes To Workplace Heat Warnings

Lewis Silkin
Lewis Silkin
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Lewis Silkin

Lewis Silkin

Joint managing partners: Jo Farmer, Richard Miskella International offices: Dublin, Hong Kong...

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Hong Kong's Labour Department has revised its Heat Stress at Work Warning system after the territory recorded its highest temperature since 1884 without triggering higher alert levels. The enhanced system introduces two new triggering conditions designed to provide earlier warnings and better protection for workers exposed to extreme heat, including automatic elevation of warning levels when temperatures reach 35°C or above.

Hong KongEmployment and HR
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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 36.9°C, 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.

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