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Occupational Deafness Compensation Scheme

The Government proposes to extend by one year the application deadline for claimants under the Occupational Deafness Compensation Scheme (ODCS) who had left their noisy occupations within six years before the commencement of the Scheme in July last year.

The proposed amendment was presented in the Occupational Deafness (Compensation) (Amendment) Bill gazetted today (Friday).

Explaining the bill, a spokesman from the Education and Manpower Branch said the extension would enable those who had inadvertently missed the deadline to submit their applications for a period until June 30 next year.

Under the existing ordinance, a person who suffers noise-induced deafness by reason of their occupation is entitled to apply for compensation if he has had at least 10

years of employment in any of the 17 specified noisy occupations.

"However, he has to satisfy the requirement of having been employed under a continuous contract in a noisy occupation within six years before the commencement of ODCS in July 1995; or within one year preceding his application for compensation," the spokesman said.

"For those who have left their noisy occupations for up to six years before the scheme commenced, they were required to submit their applications before July 1 this year. This was a necessary means to avoid possible abuses of the provisions.

"The underlying concern is that a person's hearing loss may deteriorate with age and the longer he has left his noisy occupation, the more difficult it will be to establish medically the extent to which his hearing loss has been caused by his employment in a noisy occupation."

The spokesman said when the scheme was being drawn up in 1995, it was estimated that there would be 1,000 successful claimants eligible for compensation payment including those who had left their noisy occupations within 72 months before the Scheme commenced.

"However, at the close of the 12-month application period, only 652 applications were received.