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Hong Kong Labour Department — Heat Stress Work/Rest Limits

Hong Kong Labour Department heat stroke prevention guidance using warning tiers and workplace modifiers.

Open Hong Kong Labour Department in the interactive Guidance Wiki →

Authority

HK Labour Department

Jurisdiction

Hong Kong

Legal status

Guidance

Rule type

Schedule Engine

Standard ID

HGC-009

Governing formula

No standalone formula is published for this standard; see programmable logic and parameters below.

Work/rest limits

Scenario: no shade · no forced ventilation/fans · no nearby heat source · standard (breathable) clothing

Acclimatized workers

WBGT (°C)	Light 180 W	Moderate 300 W	Heavy 415 W	Very heavy 520 W
24	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.
25	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.
26	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.
27	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.
28	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.
29	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.
30	45 / 15 min work/rest per hr	45 / 15 min work/rest per hr	45 / 15 min work/rest per hr	45 / 15 min work/rest per hr
31	45 / 15 min work/rest per hr	45 / 15 min work/rest per hr	45 / 15 min work/rest per hr	45 / 15 min work/rest per hr
32	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr
33	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr
34	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr
35	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr
36	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr

Unacclimatized workers

WBGT (°C)	Light 180 W	Moderate 300 W	Heavy 415 W	Very heavy 520 W
24	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.
25	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.
26	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.
27	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.
28	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.
29	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.	Below the Hong Kong Amber trigger (HKHI 30), read against WBGT as a stand-in for HKHI.
30	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr
31	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr	30 / 30 min work/rest per hr
32	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr
33	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr	15 / 45 min work/rest per hr
34	0 / 60 min work/rest per hr	0 / 60 min work/rest per hr	0 / 60 min work/rest per hr	0 / 60 min work/rest per hr
35	0 / 60 min work/rest per hr	0 / 60 min work/rest per hr	0 / 60 min work/rest per hr	0 / 60 min work/rest per hr
36	0 / 60 min work/rest per hr	0 / 60 min work/rest per hr	0 / 60 min work/rest per hr	0 / 60 min work/rest per hr

Inputs

Required inputs: wbgtC, workload, shade, ventilation, heatSource, ppe, acclimatization

Optional inputs: none

Sources

• 🇭🇰 Hong Kong prevention of heat stroke at work — Hong Kong Labour Department (official PDF)

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