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Hong
Kong's hygiene laws - safeguarding public health Good
health and a clean environment are needed to combat atypical pneumonia. In
Hong Kong, where the rule of law prevails, there are comprehensive laws in place
that relate to our daily lives and the running of businesses. These laws protect
our rights and define the government's powers and responsibilities. This
pamphlet highlights the most relevant laws that relate to the control of atypical
pneumonia. Members of the public are encouraged to get acquainted with these laws,
not just to avoid prosecution, but to better discharge their civic responsibilities
and support law enforcement and implementation. If we all play our part, we will
all benefit and Hong Kong will become a cleaner and more hygienic city. Individual
- If any residence or related facilities (e.g. water tank, sewage pipe, refuse
container) are in such a state as to be dangerous to health, the health authorities
are empowered to require the owners or occupiers to make improvements.
- If
any waste is found in any common part of a building, the health authorities may
require the owners and occupiers to remove the waste. If any waste is found on
a canopy, the health authorities are empowered to require the occupiers of the
unit to which the canopy relates to remove the waste.
- If any premises
are infested with vermin, the health authorities are empowered to require the
owners or occupiers to destroy the vermin.
- No occupier shall obstruct
any scavenging operation or dispose of any waste in such a way as to obstruct
the operation of any cleaning worker.
- No spitting is allowed in public
places.
- Used tissue paper, masks and other waste shall not be disposed
of in public places.
Business
- Every person who carries on a food business shall keep the food premises
clean and tidy. Food for sale shall be covered and stored properly to protect
it from contamination and spoilage.
- The Food Business Regulation contains
detailed provisions on different aspects of food business operations, such as
-
- cleanliness of kitchens and sanitary fitments ;
- sterilization
and cleansing of utensils and napkins; and
- personal cleanliness of persons
engaged in the handling of food.
Proprietors of a food business shall abide
by these provisions. - The proprietor of a food business shall ensure the
food premises, food, utensils and staff are clean and hygienic.
- The health
authorities may notify any person engaged in a food business (e.g. a person working
in the kitchen, or a person serving or handling food) to cease work if they are
satisfied the person is suffering from any communicable disease.
- The licensee
of a place of amusement shall provide adequate and clean sanitary conveniences
on the premises and shall keep all furniture in a clean condition and in proper
repair.
- The licensee of a public bus or public light bus and the driver
of a taxi shall ensure that the relevant vehicle is kept clean and tidy.
- Any
teacher, pupil or employee certified to have contracted an infectious disease,
or who has been in contact with or living in the same house as a person suffering
from an infectious disease, may be required to be excluded from school if required
by the medical officer in charge of the school health services.
- A hawker
shall ensure his stall and equipment are safe, clean and hygienic.
- Every
employer shall ensure that employees have adequate working equipment and that
the employees' place of work and working system are safe. For example, cleansing
contractors shall provide their employees with protective equipment.
Quarantine
measures - The health authorities are empowered to enter
any premises to ascertain whether any person on the premises -
- is
suffering from a specified infectious disease
(this includes Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome) ;
- has contact with a person suffering from a specified
infectious disease; or
- is a carrier of germs of a specified infectious
disease.
Such a person may be detained for medical examination or removed
and detained in a hospital or other places as appointed. - A person suffering
from a specified infectious disease must not -
- frequent public places;
- use public transport; or
- lend or remove any article that is likely
to spread an infectious disease.
- The health authorities are empowered
to require the owner of a building to disinfect the building, and to close the
building for this purpose. The health authorities may also disinfect the personal
effects of any person or, if necessary, destroy those effects.
- To prevent
the spread of an infectious disease, the health authorities are empowered to isolate
any area or premises. A person must not enter or leave any isolated area or premises
where an isolation order is in force.
- The health authorities are empowered
to restrict any person from leaving Hong Kong if the person -
- is
suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome;
- has been exposed to
the risk of infection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome by contact with a person
suffering from it;
- is a carrier of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
The health authorities also have the power to take the body temperature of,
and carry out a medical examination on, any person arriving in or leaving Hong
Kong.
A person who is suspected to have been infected with Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome may be removed and detained in a hospital or other places as appointed. The
laws on health and quarantine set out in this pamphlet are contained in the Laws
of Hong Kong or laid down in the common law. The relevant statutory laws include
- - Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132)
- Hawker
Regulation (Cap. 132 sub. leg. AI)
- Places of Amusement Regulation (Cap.
132 sub. leg. BA)
- Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances Regulation
(Cap. 132 sub. leg. BK) - Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132 sub. leg.
X)
- Prevention of the Spread of Infectious Diseases Regulations
(Cap.
141 sub. leg. B) - Education Regulations (Cap. 279 sub. leg. A)
- Road
Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations
(Cap. 374 sub. leg. D) In
most cases, a person who contravenes any relevant provision is liable to a maximum
fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for one year. The offender may also be subject
to civil claims. For details of the provisions, please see the Department
of Justice homepage at http://www.doj.gov.hk If
you would like to know more about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, please call
the Department of Health's hotline on 2833 0111 or visit the
Department's homepage at http://www.dh.gov.hk/
For enquiries during office hours, please call the Department
of Health on 187 2222 You
may also call the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department's hotline on 2868
0000 for any enquires and complaints 
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