WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1981
GOVT PROPOSES TO INCLUDE PERIPHERAL POLY-NEUROPATHY
AS OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE
*
IN ORDER TO PROVIDE BETTER PROTECTION TO WORKERS, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR HAS PROPOSED то INCLUDE PERIPHERAL POLY-NEUROPATHY AS AN OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE UNDER THR EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE.
THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON JOHN CHAN, SAID THIS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WHEN REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON TAM YIU-CHUNG.
MR CHAN SAID THIS WOULD ENSURE THAT WORKERS SUFFERING FROM THE DISEASE WERE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION, EVEN IF THEY HAD LEFT THE RELEVANT EMPLOYMENT.
HE ADDED THAT THE COMMISSIONER ADVISORY BOARD ON THIS PROPOSAL.
WAS CONSULTING THE LABOUR
WHETHER OR NOT PERIPHERAL DISEASE WAS LISTED UNDER
THE SECRETARY EXPLAINED THAT POLY-NEUROPATHY OR ANY OTHER OCCUPATIONAL THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE DID NOT AFFECT AN EMPLOYER'S ENTITLEMENT TO COMPENSATION IF PERSONAL INJURY AROSE OUT OF AND IN THE COURSE OF EMPLOYMENT.
HOWEVER, IF A DISEASE WAS DISCOVERED AFTER A WORKER HAD LEFT THE EMPLOYMENT WHICH GAVE RISE TO THAT DISEASE, THERE MIGHT BE DIFFICULTIES IN OBTAINING COMPENSATION DUE TO ARGUMENTS AS TO WHETHER THE INJURY HAD OCCURRED IN THE COURSE OF EMPLOYMENT, HE SAID.
MR CHAN SAID SO FAR THERE HAD BEEN 11 CONFIRMED CASES OF PERIPHERAL POLY-NEUROPATHY IN HONG KONG.
IN ADDITION, 41 CASES OF SUSPECTED PERIPHERAL POLY-NEUROPATHY HAD BEEN REPORTED TO THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, HE SAID.
"THE 11 WORKERS IN THE CONFIRMED CASES HAVE DISCHARGED AFTER HOSPITALISATION OR TREATMENT AND ARE RETURNING TO WORK, THE SECRETARY NOTED.
..
ALL BREN CAPABLE OF
HE SAID IN ALL THE CONFIRMED CASES, THE DISEASE WAS CAUSED BY N-HEXANE WHICH WAS A NEUROTOXIN CONTAINED IN A COMMON SOLVENT KNOWN AS "PETROLEUM SPIRIT".
ON THE CONTROL OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES IN THE AIR, MR CHAN SAID THERE WERE NO INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED STANDARDS RELATING TO THEIR SAFE THRESHOLD LIMITS.
"THERE ARE, HOWEVER, NATIONAL STANDARDS IN SOME COUNTRIES.
"IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE HAS PUBLISHED A GUIDANCE NOTE ON SUCH STANDARDS WHICH ARB REVISED FROM TIME TO TIME IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LATEST RESEARCH FINDINGS,' HE SAID.
/MR CHAN
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