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EMPLOYMENT
conjunction with the Hong Kong Polytechnic, the centre continued to organise two evening courses and a part-time day-release course leading to a Certificate of Proficiency in Industrial Safety. To meet the increasing needs of industry, two advanced courses were started during the year leading to the award of a Certificate of Proficiency in Advanced Industrial Safety. For the third year since 1984, the department assisted the Construction Industry Training Authority to run construction safety officer courses.
The Pressure Equipment Division enforces the Boilers and Pressure Receivers Ordinance and the Gasholders Examination Ordinance. The Boilers and Pressure Receivers Ordin- ance stipulates that boilers, steam receivers, steam containers, air receivers and cement tanks mounted on trucks or trailers must be approved and registered with the division and · must be examined periodically by qualified engineers in the private sector acting as appointed examiners.
The division conducts examinations for boiler attendants for the issue of certificates of competency. Comprehensive training courses for electrically heated boiler attendants are organised in collaboration with the Haking Wong Technical Institute. A short training course is also organised by the division for persons who wish to obtain a provisional certificate of competency. Pamphlets on statutory, technical and safety aspects of pressure equipment are disseminated to owners and attendants of such equipment.
The division also approves the design of gasholders and carries out inspections during fabrication and subsequent annual inspections as laid down in the Gasholders Examination Ordinance. It gives technical assistance to the Fire Services Department concerning the safety of certain types of Category 2 dangerous goods containers.
The division monitors the operation of pressure equipment through spot checks to ensure compliance with statutory requirements and carries out investigations into accidents involving pressure equipment.
Occupational Health and Hygiene
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 supervising health standards and practices in industry. It works to maintain and im- prove 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 took part 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 are conducted in various industries and an epidemiological study on health and hygiene conditions in quarries and construction sites was completed during the year. Similar epidemiological studies on health hazards in glass-making factories and iron foundries are underway. A large scale monitoring programme of factories with possible lead hazards has also been started.
The division carries out medical examinations of personnel exposed to ionising radiation and government employees engaged in compressed air, diving, pest control and flourida- tion work. It also deals with cases of silicosis under the Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Ordinance. The division's nurses handle medical clearance for employees' compensation cases and its occupational health officers are appointed as members of Special Assessment