XN000022-1994-11-17 — Page 16

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1994

DISEASE,

'UNDER THE SCHEME, TOTAL DEAFNESS, AS AN OCCUPATIONAL WOULD BE EQUATED TO 60 PER CENT INCAPACITY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

+7

PER

HE POINTED OUT THAT TOTAL DEAFNESS BECAUSE OF A WORK-RELATED ACCIDENT SUCH AS IN THE CASE OF EXPLOSION WOULD BE EQUATED TO 100 CENT INCAPACITY UNDER THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE.

"

'AS OCCUPATIONAL DEAFNESS DEVELOPS INSIDIOUSLY OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS, THE TRAUMATIC IMPACT OF THE DISABILITY IS NOT AS ACUTE AS THAT OF A WORK-RELATED ACCIDENT. A PERSON SUFFERING FROM THE DISEASE IS MOST LIKELY TO HAVE CONTINUED WORKING AND MAY NOT SUFFER TOTAL LOSS OF EARNING CAPACITY," THE SPOKESMAN NOTED.

THE BILL PROVIDES FOR A QUEUING SYSTEM FOR PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION IN A CONTINGENCY SITUATION IN WHICH THE BOARD DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO MEET ALL ELIGIBLE CLAIMS.

OF

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT AT PRESENT THERE ARE ABOUT 60,000 EMPLOYEES WHO ARE EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE NOISE AT WORK, ABOUT 1,000 THEM COULD BE CLASSIFIED AS HAVING OCCUPATIONAL DEAFNESS.

COMMENTING ON THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF OCCUPATIONAL DEAFNESS, THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS (NOISE AT WORK) REGULATION WHICH HAD COME IN FORCE SINCE JULY 1993 REQUIRED EMPLOYERS TO TAKE NECESSARY STEPS TO REDUCE NOISE AT SOURCE IN THE WORK PLACE AND ΤΟ PROVIDE HEARING PROTECTORS TO EMPLOYEES.

"THE REGULATION ALSO REQUIRES AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS PROVIDED WITH A HEARING PROTECTOR TO USE IT WHEN HE IS LIKELY TO BE EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE NOISE AT THE WORK PLACE.

"BESIDES, THE GOVERNMENT TOGETHER WITH THE SUPPORT OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH COUNCIL ARE DEVISING MEASURES

AN INCULCATE

AWARENESS AMONG EMPLOYERS AS WELL AS EMPLOYEES OF IMPORTANCE OF HEARING PROTECTION, HE SAID.

THE

ΤΟ

THE

THE BILL IS SCHEDULED TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 30.

TWO BILLS ON ELECTRONIC TRADE DATA INTERCHANGE

ANNOUNCED

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN

TODAY {THURSDAY} THAT THE IMPORT AND EXPORT (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL 1994 AND THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING (CLOTHING INDUSTRY) (AMENDMENT) BILL. 1994 WOULD BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 7.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID IN 1992, THE GOVERNMENT AGREED ΤΟ THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMMUNITY ELECTRONIC TRADING SERVICE (CETS).

"THE OBJECTIVE OF THE CETS IS TO ADOPT ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI) AND OTHER TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE THE FACILITATION OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE FOR THE HONG KONG TRADING COMMUNITY,' HE SAID.

/INITIALLY, THE