XN000022-1994-10-14 — Page 41

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1994

THE

39

WIDER PROTECTION FOR INJURED EMPLOYEES PROPOSED

OF

LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAS PROPOSED TO MAKE A NUMBER AMENDMENTS TO THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE (ECO) TO PROVIDE WIDER PROTECTION FOR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE INJURED AT WORK.

DETAILS OF THE PROPOSAL HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION (AMENDMENT) (NO.2) BILL 1994 WHICH WAS GAZETTED TODAY (FRIDAY).

OR

"UNDER THE PROPOSAL, AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS INJURED WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN OPERATING ANY MEANS OF TRANSPORT PROVIDED BY HIS EMPLOYER HIS HOME AND HIS PLACE OF WORK IN CONNECTION WITH HIS EMPLOYMENT WOULD MR SENIOR LABOUR OFFICER (COMPENSATION) BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION, CHOW CHEUNG-FAT SAID.

||

"SIMILARLY, AN EMPLOYEE WOULD BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION IF AN AND HAPPENS TO HIM WHILE HE IS TRAVELLING BETWEEN HONG KONG ACCIDENT

BY HIS PLACE OF WORK OUTSIDE HONG KONG BY MEANS OF TRANSPORT ARRANGED OR AGREED WITH HIS EMPLOYER.

AT PRESENT, AN EMPLOYEE WHO SUSTAINS INJURY WHEN HE TRAVELS FROM HIS PLACE OF RESIDENCE TO HIS PLACE OF WORK OR VICE VERSA IS NOT PASSENGER BY ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION UNLESS HE IS TRAVELLING AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORT PROVIDED BY THE EMPLOYER.

PROPOSED

TO

AN

AS REGARDS MEDICAL EXPENSES, THE AMENDMENT BILL GIVE THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR THE POWER TO PROCESS A CLAIM FROM EMPLOYEE FOR MEDICAL EXPENSES INCURRED BY HIM OUTSIDE HONG KONG AND TO ASSESS THE AMOUNT OF MEDICAL EXPENSES PAYABLE BY THE EMPLOYER, MR CHOW SAID.

"IT ALSO PROPOSED TO EXTEND THE DEFINITION OF 'MEDICAL EXPENSES' TO INCLUDE THE MEDICAL EXPENSES SO ASSESSED AND OTHER FORMS OF CURATIVE TREATMENT GIVEN BY REGISTERED HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS UNDER THE LAWS OF HONG KONG.

"IN ADDITION, IF AN EMPLOYEE IS INJURED WHILE WORKING OUTSIDE HONG KONG AND IS GIVEN MEDICAL TREATMENT OUTSIDE HONG. KONG, HIS EMPLOYER IS LIABLE TO PAY FOR THE COST OF A PROSTHESIS

OR SURGICAL APPLIANCE REQUIRED BY HIM AS A RESULT OF THE INJURY PROVIDED THAT PROSTHESES AND SURGICAL APPLIANCES BOARD (PSAB) GIVES ITS APPROVAL, HE ADDED.

THE

"I

ON THE COST OF ATTENDING TO AN INJURED EMPLOYEE WHO SUFFERS SERIOUS PERMANENT INCAPACITY, MR CHOW SAID IT WAS PROPOSED THAT THE

IF MIGHT AWARD COMPENSATION TO MEET THE COST OF ATTENTION COURT

THE EMPLOYEE REQUIRED THE CARE OF ANOTHER PERSON.

"WE ALSO PROPOSED TO IMPROVE THE EXISTING PROVISION BY ALLOWING AN EMPLOYER AND HIS INJURED EMPLOYEE TO AGREE ON THE COMPENSATION FOR THE COST OF ATTENTION AND SUBMIT SUCH AN AGREEMENT FOR APPROVAL BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, ON CONDITION THAT THE AMOUNT AGREED SHOULD BE THE STATUTORY MAXIMUM, HE SAID.

11

/TO IMPROVE