112
+
Occupational deafness compensation
Following is a question by the Hon Leung Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Joseph W P Wong, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
Recently, some deaf workers have complained that the eligibility criteria for applying to the Occupational Deafness Compensation Board (the Board) for compensation are too stringent, such that many workers with hearing loss in one car are still not eligible for compensation. Moreover, it is learnt that the average pure-tone hearing loss of a worker measured in a public hospital often varies greatly from that measured in a private clinic. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
what is the total number of applications for compensation received by the Board since its establishment; of this, how many are still under consideration;
whether there is a common method used by both public hospitals and private clinics to measure the average pure-tone hearing loss of a worker; if so, what the method is; if not, why not;
given the similar nature of the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund and the Occupational Deafness Compensation Fund, why a claimant applying for compensation from the former is not required to pay for the cost of a pulmonary function test himself, whereas a claimant applying for compensation from the latter is required to undergo a hearing test at his own expenses; and
what is the basis for requiring claimants applying for occupational deatness compensation to have at least ten years' employment in noisy occupations?
Reply:
Mr President,
The Occupational Deafness Compensation Scheme is a collective liability set up under the Occupational Deafness compensation scheme which was (Compensation) Ordinance in April 1995, with the objective of compensating employees who suffer from noise-induced deafness by reason of their employment. The Scheme came into operation in July 1995.