Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ15: Spa treatment services
Following is a question by the Hon Kwok Ka-ki and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (June 21):
Question:
It is reported that the number of complaints received by the Consumer Council
about spa treatments has been on the rise in recent years, and a British
organisation has released a report warning that spa may cause serious harm to
health, with the greatest hazard of possible contraction of Legionnaire's
disease. However, numerous advertisements on the spa treatment and massage
services are still found in newspapers and magazines. In this connection, will
the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of beauty centres or other organisations which provide spa
treatment and massage services in Hong Kong in the past three years;
(b) of how such services are regulated and the differences between such
regulation and those on sauna rooms and massage establishments; and
(c) whether it will consider enacting legislation to regulate spa treatment and
massage services, including monitoring the environmental hygiene conditions,
such as water quality and ventilation, in order to protect the health of
consumers and employees?
Reply:
Madam President,
It has come to our attention that there have recently been reports in local
newspapers about cases in the United Kingdom of Legionnaires' disease found to
be associated with spa treatment pools. In Hong Kong, Legionnaires' disease has
been made a statutory notifiable infectious disease since 1994. To date, the
Department of Health (DH) has not found any cases of Legionnaires' disease
associated with spa treatment services.
The Consumer Council (CC) received 12, 18 and 3 complaints about spa treatment
services respectively in 2004, 2005 and 2006 (as at May). Except three of the
complaints in 2005 which were lodged against the hygienic condition of spa
treatment facilities, the rest were all related to sale practice and service
quality. Of the three said complaints, only one involved report of suspected
skin allergy on the complainant after spa treatment.
My replies to questions asked by Dr Hon Kwok Ka-ki are as follows:
(a) and (b) At present, we do not have a registration system to govern beauty
parlours and therefore cannot provide the number of beauty centres with spa
treatment and massage services. As far as massage services are concerned, under
the Massage Establishments Ordinance, massage establishments being regulated
under the Ordinance are required to obtain a licence from the Police. As at June
this year, a total of 187 massage establishments are licensed under the
Ordinance. It should be noted that there is no specific legislation regulating
spa treatment services. The CC has recently prepared and issued a Code of
Practice for the Beauty Industry. The Code stipulates that establishments
providing beauty care services should put in place appropriate disinfection
facilities and measures, as well as a good ventilation system and should keep
their environment sanitary and clean. The Code also applies to beauty centres
which provide spa treatment services.
(c) The DH has been keeping close surveillance of diseases in Hong Kong but no
public health concern about spa treatment and massage services have been found.
Hence, we have no plan to regulate such services on public health grounds
through legislation. Regarding Legionnaires' disease, the Prevention of
Legionnaires' Disease Committee, convened by the Electrical and Mechanical
Services Department, released a Code of Practice for Prevention of Legionnaires'
Disease in 2000 which offers advice on the design, installation, operation and
maintenance of air-conditioning and water supply systems for effective control
and prevention of Legionnaires' disease. The Code is also applicable to the
design and operation of spas. It stipulates that the water used in spas should
be continuously recirculated, filtered and disinfected. Body fats on the sides
of the spas should be removed and the filter should be cleaned regularly. There
should also be good pH control to minimise the proliferation of micro-organisms.
Ends/Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:15
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