GR 11000
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKEY 261108Z
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 260947Z FEB 82
TO IMMEDIATE F C C
TELEGRAM NUMBER 197 OF 26 FEBRUARY
INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
YOUR TELNO 189
-
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS
!
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(9.1
HKK 345/2
61
TELECON MCQUADE/HENDERSON ON 24/2/82 REFERS
NG
CAE
9/3
Af
AF $13
See
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1. TWC PROBLEMS APPEAR TO HAVE ARISEN FROM THE THREE
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS ASKED BY MR. PARRY ABOUT HEALTH PROBLEMS
IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY. THEY ARE :
(A) A LACK OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION TO THESE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS, AND
(B) AN APPARENT GAP BETWEEN THE REPLIES TO QUESTIONS (4) AND (5).
THE FOLLOWING COMPREHENSIVE REPLY TO THESE THREE QUESTIONS HAS THEREFORE BEEN PREPARED.
2. NO SUBSTANCES ARE BANNED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE ELECTRONICS
INDUSTRY IN U.K. THE CHEMICALS USED IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY
IN HONG KONG ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THE CHEMICALS USED IN U.K. THEY
CAN BE GROUPED INTO BROAD DIVISIONS OF SOLVENTS, ACIDS, METALS, GASES, PLASTIC MATERIALS SUCH AS EPOXY RESIN AND RADIOACTIVE CHEMICALS, WITH A NUMBER OF SUBSTANCES UNDER EACH HEADING IN USE DEPENDING ON THE PARTICULAR PROCESS INVOLVED. THE TOXICITY OF THESE
CHEMICALS OF WHICH CARCINOGENICITY MAY BE AN ELEMENT VARIES AND THE ARE THE USUAL HEALTH HAZARDS FROM INHALATION, INGESTION OR SKIN
CONTACT WHICH EXIST IN ANY WORK SITUATION INVOLVING THE USE OF
CHEMICALS. WHILE OCCASIONAL WORK-RELATED ILLNESS SUCH AS DERMATITIS
AND ALLERGIC REACTION FROM RESIN WORKKING DO OCCUR THE WORLDWIDE HEALTH RECORD OF THE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN VERY SATISFACTORY, AND THERE
IS NO EVIDENCE TO DATE OF SERIOUS INDUSTRY GENERATED HEALTH HAZARD.
THE U.K. HAS NOT PRESCRIBED ANY SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR THE
MONITORING OF THE ENVIRONMENT OR WORKERS IN THE ELECTRONICS
INDUSTRY IN PARTICUULAR, HOWEVER, THERE ARE SPECIAL REGULATIONS COVERING THOSE WORKERS WHO HANDLE RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES, WHICH APPLY GENERALLY. SIMILAR LEGISLATION EXISTS IN HONG KONG, 1.E. THE RADIATION ORDINANCE AND ITS SUBSIDIARY REGULATIONS.
THE V.K. CARCINOGENIC SUBSTANCES REGULATIONS 1967 PROHIBIT THE
USE OF CERTAIN CARCINOGENIC SUBSTANCES BUT AS FAR AS IS KNOWN THESE
ARE NOT USED IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY EITHER HERE OR IN U.K.
CONFIDENTIAL
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