A recent video depicting a foreign domestic helper (FDH) engaged in precarious window cleaning has garnered significant attention on social media. The footage has sparked widespread concern for the safety of the helper and raised questions as to why the incident was not immediately reported to the police.
The video was shared by a Filipina domestic worker on the Facebook page of the FDH-run organization, Social Justice for Migrant Workers. According to her post, the incident took place on the 14th floor of a building located on Babington Path, Mid-Levels. The helper refrained from reporting the incident to the police right away, fearing that her employer would become alarmed if officers arrived at their doorstep.
However, the Labour Department emphasizes that such incidents should be reported to the police promptly, particularly when someone's life is at risk. Since January 2017, dangerous window cleaning by FDHs has been prohibited and included as a prohibited act in their employment contracts. This measure was implemented following a series of tragic deaths, including that of Filipina Rinnalyn Duollog, who tragically fell to her death from her employer's high-rise flat in Tseung Kwan O.
Under the current regulations, FDHs are only allowed to clean the outside part of a window if the flat is on the ground level or if there is a balcony adjacent to the window that provides a reasonably safe working environment. In cases where the window being cleaned is not on the ground level or lacks a safe balcony, the window must be fitted with a locked or secured grille. Additionally, no part of the helper's body, except for the arms, should extend beyond the window ledge.
The anonymous FDH who shared the video expressed her concern for her fellow helper and intended to warn her about the potential danger, especially if she was new to Hong Kong or if her employer forced her to engage in such risky activities. The FDH also noted that, in her many years of working in the same place, she had never witnessed any other helper performing dangerous window cleaning in the concerned flat, which appeared to have recently undergone renovations. Subsequently, she shared the video with her employer, who promptly went to the management office of the building to report the incident.
The video has ignited a conversation about the safety and well-being of FDHs in Hong Kong. It serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to the regulations that protect the lives of these workers. Authorities and employers must continue to prioritize the safety of FDHs and ensure that appropriate measures are in place to prevent accidents and protect their rights.
外籍家庭傭工高樓擦窗影片引發安全疑慮
最近一段描述一名外籍家庭傭工危險地清潔窗戶的影片在社群媒體上引起了廣泛關注。 這段影片引發了人們對這名助手安全的廣泛關注，並引發了人們對為什麼沒有立即向警方報告這起事件的疑問。
一名菲律賓家庭傭工在外傭運營的組織「移民工人社會正義」的 Facebook 頁面上分享了這段影片。 根據她的帖子，事件發生在半山巴丙頓道一棟大廈的14樓。 女傭沒有立即向警方報案，擔心警方到家門口會引起雇主的驚慌。
不過，勞工部強調，此類事件應立即向警方報告，特別是當某人的生命受到威脅時。 自2017年1月起，外傭清潔窗戶的危險行為已被禁止，並列為僱傭合約中的禁止行為。 這項措施是在一系列悲慘死亡事件發生後實施的，其中包括菲律賓人 Rinnalyn Duollog，她從將軍澳雇主的高層公寓中不幸墜落身亡。
根據現行規定，只有在單位位於地面或窗戶附近設有陽台以提供相當安全的工作環境的情況下，外傭才可清潔窗戶的外側部分。 如果要清潔的窗戶不在地面或沒有安全陽台，則窗戶必須安裝上鎖或固定的格柵。 此外，除了手臂之外，幫助者身體的任何部位都不應超出窗台。
分享影片的匿名外傭表達了她對女傭同事的擔憂，並打算警告她潛在的危險，特別是如果她剛來香港或雇主強迫她從事此類危險活動。 外傭又指出，她在同一地方工作多年，從未見過其他傭工在該單位進行危險的窗戶清潔工作，而該單位似乎最近剛進行裝修工程。 隨後，她將影片分享給雇主，雇主立即前往大樓管理處報告此事。
這部影片引發了有關香港外傭安全和福祉的討論。 它提醒人們遵守保護這些工人生命的法規的重要性。 當局和雇主必須繼續優先考慮外傭的安全，並確保採取適當措施防止意外發生並保障他們的權利。
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