ENG-1972 — Page 72

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EMPLOYMENT

The Contracts for Overseas Employment Ordinance controls contracts of em- ployment entered into in Hong Kong by manual workers, including domestic servants but excluding certain limited categories, proceeding overseas for employment. During the year 737 contracts were attested.

Permission to work in Britain is given by the British Department of Employment. During the year 661 permits and vouchers were issued through the Labour Depart- ment, including six to Commonwealth citizens seeking unspecified employment, 215 to local people of British nationality going to specific jobs, and 440 to local residents who are not of British nationality.

Safety, Health and Welfare

The Industrial Health Unit of the Labour Department acts as an advisory service to the government and industry on matters relating to the health of workers. The unit is primarily concerned with preventing occupational diseases and protecting workers against health hazards in their working environment. These hazards are reported by the statutory notification of occupational diseases, by the factory in- spectorate, or by officers of the unit. Control is achieved by environmental and biological monitoring and health education. The unit's laboratory, staffed by tech- nicians trained in industrial hygiene, has been designated as a collaborating laboratory on air pollution by the World Health Organisation.

The measurement of many concentrations in the air, such as chromium, lead, manganese, mercury, solvents, silica dust and sulphur dioxide, and the investigation of standards of thermal comfort, ventilation, noise, and lighting also form a major part of the duties of the unit. Medical examinations, including X-rays and pathological investigations, are also undertaken, of workers exposed to risks of lead, radiation, fluoride toxicity or silica dust, and of government divers.

The Industrial Health Unit also has responsibilities for the clinical examination, casework, and medical assessment of injured workers. This important service operates principally from the casualty departments of the four main hospitals. Many visits to homes and work-places are also made by the health visitors of the division.

The Workmen's Compensation Unit administers the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance and is responsible for ensuring that injured workers or their dependants receive the compensation to which they are legally entitled.

The Air Pollution Control Unit (as described in Chapter 18) operates under the guidance of the Smoke Abatement Adviser. Seven Assistant Smoke Inspectors carry out its field work. Three additional Assistant Smoke Inspectors were appointed at the end of the year and are now under training. There are now 33 monitoring stations. The Clean Air (Furnaces, Ovens and Chimneys) (Installation and Alteration) Regula- tions were approved by the Governor in Council on December 12, and the Clean Air (Restriction and Measurement of Smoke Emission) Regulations were in an advanced stage of preparation.