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Open sources, classified and cross-checked. 3+ stories.

DISASTER36m agoHong Kong leader pledges building maintenance reforms after fatal Tai Po fireHong Kong’s leader has pledged to overhaul the city’s building maintenance regime and improve emergency response as part of the government’s response to last year’s fatal Tai Po fire, while authorities study criminalising bid-rigging and plan to submit a proposal later this year. The measures were outlined in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address on Wednesday, amid pressure on the government to strengthen oversight of renovation works after the city’s deadliest fire in decades at...South China Morning Post
DISASTER4h agoHong Kong must prepare for the impact of heat-related work stoppagesAt the beginning of August, when temperatures in Hong Kong hit highs not seen for at least 140 years, the Labour Department’s Heat Stress at Work Warning system remained at the amber level, the lowest of three tiers. The controversy that followed raised a broader question: are our heat warnings adequately protecting people who work outdoors? The Labour Department has since announced changes that will lead to earlier heat-stress warnings. These improvements to worker protection are welcome. But...South China Morning Post
DISASTER6d agoBuildings Department files 259 charges over work at fire-ravaged Hong Kong estateHong Kong’s Buildings Department has filed 259 charges against two companies and four individuals over major renovation works at the inferno-ravaged Wang Fuk Court, after investigations found non-fire-retardant materials were used and safety obligations were not met. The department said on Wednesday that the charges included allegedly permitting or authorising to be used in the carrying out of building works materials which are defective or did not comply with the provisions of the Buildings...South China Morning Post