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An amendment under the Employees Compensation Ordinance (ECO) to include "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome" (SARS) and "Avian Influenza A" as prescribed occupational diseases will come into effect tomorrow (February 8).

This amendment brings the total number of occupational diseases prescribed under ECO to 48.

"The amendment aims at providing better protection to employees. It will expedite the compensation process for employees infected with the two occupational diseases during their working in the specified high-risk occupations," a Labour Department spokesman said.

"Employees who by reason of their employment are engaged in specified high-risk occupations involving close and frequent contacts with the source of SARS or Avian Influenza A infection would be covered," he said.

In the case of SARS, specified high risk occupations include medical and nursing staff, medical research or laboratory workers, pathologists, post-mortem or funeral services workers. Around 94,000 employees are currently engaged in these occupations.

In the case of Avian influenza A, specified high risk occupations include work involving the handling of poultry or birds or their uncooked remains or their untreated products, and research or laboratory workers. There are currently about 5,000 employees engaged in these occupations.

"An employee who suffers incapacity arising from an occupational disease is presumed that the disease is due to his employment if he is engaged in the specified high-risk occupations at any time within the prescribed period immediately preceding the incapacity. This would help expedite his compensation process," he said.

A corresponding amendment has also been made to the list of occupational diseases specified in Schedule 2 to the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance (OSHO) to enable the Labour Department to better monitor the health of workers who are at risk to occupational diseases.

Under OSHO, medical practitioners are required to notify the Labour Department of cases of the specified occupational diseases that come to their attention.

Ends/Monday, February 7, 2005

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