EMPLOYMENT
Occupational Health and Hygiene
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The Occupational Health Division of the Labour Department provides an advisory service to the government and the public on matters concerning the health of workers and the hygiene of the workplace and complements the Factory Inspectorate Division in super- vising health standards and practices in industry. It works to maintain and improve the physical and mental well-being of workers and to protect them against any health hazard arising from their employment. During the year, the division participated in a number of seminars and exhibitions for the promotion of occupational health and also published a series of booklets and codes of practice on the prevention of occupational hazards.
A prime responsibility of the division is to investigate notified occupational diseases and potential health hazards reported by the Factory Inspectorate and to determine preventive action. Surveys were conducted in various industries and an epidemological study on the health and hygiene conditions in quarries and construction sites is underway.
The division carried out medical examination of personnel exposed to ionising radiation, government divers and compressed air workers. It also deals with cases of silicosis under the Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Ordinance. The division's nurses handle medical clear- ance for employees' compensation cases and its occupational health officers are appointed as members of assessment boards under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance.
The Occupational Health Division's laboratory carries out analytical tests on biological samples from workers and other environmental samples taken during site visits.
Employees' Compensation
The Employees' Compensation Division of the Labour Department administers the Employees' Compensation Ordinance and the Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Ordin- ance. The division ensures that injured employees and dependants of deceased employees covered by the Employees' Compensation Ordinance obtain from their employers, without undue delay, compensation in respect of injuries or death caused by accidents or occupational diseases arising out of and in the course of employment. It also ensures that persons covered by the Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Ordinance obtain compensation as soon as possible from the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund, which is financed by a levy imposed on the construction and quarry industries.
The provisions on compulsory insurance under the Employees' Compensation Ordin- ance were brought into effect on January 1, 1984. These provisions require all employers to insure against their full liabilities for both compensation under the ordinance and damages in civil actions independent of the ordinance for any injury sustained by their employees from accidents arising out of and in the course of employment. The second schedule to the ordinance was also revised and expanded to include a number of diseases for which a causual connection with certain occupations has been established in recent years. The new certification system for the settlement of minor claims is working satisfactorily and has helped to speed up the processing of such claims.
Under the two-tier Employees' Compensation Assessment Board System, the Ordinary Assessment Boards and the Special Assessment Boards have been in operation since August and October 1983 respectively. In 1984, the Ordinary Assessment Boards convened 529 sessions to make 14 842 assessments and 495 review assessments of claims for employees' compensation, and the Special Assessment Boards convened 39 sessions to make 70 assessments of claims referred to them by the Ordinary Assessment Boards and six review assessments.