EMPLOYMENT
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The division also undertakes the clinical examination, case work, and medical assessment of injured workers under the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance. This important advisory service operates principally from the casualty departments of major government hospitals although many visits to homes and workplaces are made by the health visitors of the division.
In May, a Smoke Abatement Adviser to the Commissioner of Labour was appointed following the recommendation of the Com- mittee on Air Pollution. This officer is in charge of the newly created Air Pollution Control Unit of the Labour Department which has as its primary responsibility the enforcement of the provisions of the Clean Air Ordinance. The unit has also taken over control of the 24 air pollution monitoring sites.
Two surveys concerned with the causes and effects of industrial accidents were undertaken during the year and their results initiated a departmental programme to improve the standards of guarding to metal and plastic power presses.
The factory inspectorate of the Industry Division of the Labour Department is responsible, under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, for the safety of workers employed in factories and industrial undertakings. Advice and assistance are given to management on ways and means of guarding dangerous parts of machinery, adopting safe working practices, and general layout of factories to achieve safe working conditions.
An important section of the Industry Division is the Industrial Safety Training Centre where the basic training of both the factory and labour inspectorates takes place and, additionally, refresher and advanced courses on industrial safety are held regularly. The centre also helps to organize safety committees and prepares book- lets and posters on industrial safety.
During the year, the scope and activities of the Industrial Safety Training Centre were expanded and, for the first time, courses on industrial safety were conducted for members of other government departments and nominated candidates from industrial undertakings. Lectures on industrial safety were also started at the Hong Kong Technical College and various vocational training centres.