EMPLOYMENT
A comprehensive library of up-to-date videos, journals, microfilms, books and magazines on occupational safety and health is open for public use.
The council's Occupational Safety and Health Employees' Participation Scheme continued to offer financial assistance to employees' organisations running safety and health activities. The scheme subsidised 52 employees' organisations in 1995.
Employees' Compensation
The Employees Compensation Division of the Labour Department administers the Employees' Compensation Ordinance and the Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Ordinance. It ensures that injured employees and dependants of deceased employees covered by the Employees' Compensation Ordinance obtain compensation from their employers for occupational diseases, injuries or deaths caused by accidents arising out of and in the course of employment. It also ensures that persons covered by the Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Ordinance obtain speedy compensation from the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund. It administers a loan scheme to provide quick financial relief in the form of interest-free loans to employees injured at work and to dependants of employees who die from work-related accidents.
Employees with work-related injuries which are likely to result in permanent incapacity are assessed under the two-tier Employees' Compensation Assessment Board system. Boards sit in 12 major hospitals throughout the territory. The Occupa- tional Deafness Compensation Scheme compensates employees suffering from occupational noise-induced deafness. It is administered by the Occupational Deafness Compensation Board which started to receive applications in July, 1995.
The Employees Compensation Assistance Scheme makes payments of statutory compensation and damages awarded under common law, which are due to an injured employee or dependants of a deceased employee where an employer defaults or an insurer becomes insolvent. It also covers claims from employers who fail to obtain indemnity from their insolvent insurers.
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During the year, 216 pneumoconiosis cases were awarded compensation from the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund for the first time. The Pneumoconiosis Com- pensation Fund Board, established to administer the fund, also financed research, educational and publicity programmes to enhance awareness of pneumoconiosis and to promote prevention of the disease. Pneumoconiosis sufferers diagnosed before January 1, 1981, and who are not covered by the Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Ordinance, receive ex gratia payments on a quarterly basis from the government.
Telephone Enquiry Service
The General Enquiry Telephone Service of the Labour Department handles enquiries on labour legislation and matters relating to the employment of local and imported workers. It provides information on various services and callers can obtain infor- mation leaflets through the system if they have a fax machine. The system, with Cantonese, Putonghua and English language options, operates around-the-clock. Staff operators deal with the more complicated enquiries during office hours. During the year, the answering capacity of the service was enhanced and a record high of 1 620 100 calls were handled.
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