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Following is a question by the Hon Wong Kwok-hing and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (February 15):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council whether:
(a) the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has organised training programmes for its staff and employees of its service contractors on how to handle carcasses of birds and the related work; if so,
(i) of the contents and formats of such programmes;
(ii) of the ranks of staff invited to participate in such programmes, and whether the staff appointed on different terms of employment (such as civil servants, non-civil service contract staff and employees of contractors) enjoy equal opportunities to participate in such programmes and have the same number of hours of training; if not, of the basis for making the relevant arrangements; and
(iii) of the number of programmes organised since last year, the number of participants in such programmes, as well as the percentage of participants in the total number of the staff concerned; and
(b) staff appointed on different terms of employment are provided with the same protective gear when handling carcasses of birds and the related work; if not, of the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has formulated a package of contingency measures against avian influenza, covering work procedures for the culling of poultry, cleansing and disinfection of premises, and guidance notes on collection procedures for bird carcasses. These procedures have already been incorporated into a code of practice and safety guidelines issued to officers in charge in various districts.
As for the collection of bird carcasses in public places, FEHD has briefed the staff in detail on the procedures for handling bird carcasses and disinfection as well as general knowledge of personal protective gear and personal hygiene. A code of practice and safety guidelines on these issues has also been issued. Relevant information is also posted in district environmental hygiene offices and roll-call points for easy reference of staff.
To enhance the vigilance of the staff and to ensure that they understand the precautionary measures against avian influenza, FEHD has organised annual large-scale briefings over the past two years on detailed contingency measures against avian influenza (including the procedures for handling bird carcasses) and distributed information booklets to them.
Workmen IIs in FEHD are staff responsible for collection of bird carcasses. FEHD has distributed a code of practice and safety guidelines to these staff (about 1,200) and their supervisors. In addition, nearly 1,000 FEHD staff have also attended the aforesaid large-scale briefings on the preparedness plan for avian influenza (which also covered ways to handle bird carcasses). FEHD has also instructed its contractors for street cleansing service to remind their staff of the need for strict compliance with the code of practice and safety guidelines in handling bird carcasses.
(b) Apart from providing suitable protective gear to civil servants and contract staff of various ranks for handling bird carcasses, FEHD also requires its service contractors to provide the same protective gear for their employees.
Ends/Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Issued at HKT 13:02
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