Hong Kong Institute of

Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

 

 

 

 

香港職業及環境衛生學會

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P. O. Box 9645  Central Post Office,

Central, Hong Kong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE

 

CONSTITUTION OF THE INSTITUTE

 

1                   The name of the society shall be Hong Kong Institute of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (H.K.I.O.E.H.)

香港職業及環境衛生學會

2                   Registered address shall be situated in Hong Kong.

3                   Objectives

(a)               to promote and develop the profession of occupational and environmental hygiene;

(b)               to promote and encourage the teaching, training, research and study in occupational and environmental hygiene;

(c)               to serve the public interest by acting in an advisory capacity in matter relating to the science and practice of occupational and environmental hygiene;

(d)               to consult, contact and cooperate with any the professional, scientific or technical institute, institution, society or association or other body with a view to pursuit of common objects in occupational and environmental hygiene;

(e)               to exchange international experience in occupational and environmental hygiene;

(f)                to arrange educational courses, lectures and examinations;

(g)               to advance public education of occupational and environmental hygiene;

(h)               to perform any act which it is considered will further the above objects.

 


MEMBERSHIP

4                   There shall be corporate and non-corporate membership of the Institute.  There shall be two classes of corporate membership, namely Fellow Members and Members of the Institute.  There shall also be three classes of non-corporate membership, namely Honorary Fellow Members, Associate Members and Affiliated Members of the Institute. Corporate members shall have the right vote at general meetings.  Non-corporate members shall have no right to vote.

(a)               Member

A candidate for admission as Member of the Institute shall be required to have obtained

(i)                A degree in occupational hygiene, environmental science, acoustic, ergonomics, radiation protection, science, applied science, engineering, medicine, nursing, or equivalent acceptable to the Council; and

(ii)               To have worked for more than three years in a professional capacity in the field of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene; for this purpose postgraduate degree in Article 4(a)(i)  shall be considered as equivalent to one year working experience and

(iii)             To demonstrate to the Council that he or she possesses a satisfactory level of professional competence; and

(b)               Fellow Member

The Council may by resolution elect any Member to be a Fellow Member if he or she has made a distinct contribution to the Institute or to the advancement of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.

(c)               Honorary Fellow Member

The Council may by resolution elect any person to be an Honorary Fellow Member if he or she has made a distinct contribution in Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.

(d)               Associate Member

A candidate for admission as an Associate Member of the Institute shall be required to have obtained;

(i)                A degree/diploma/certificate in occupational hygiene environmental science, acoustic, ergonomics, radiation protection, science, applied science, engineering, medicine, nursing, or equivalent acceptable to the Council; and

(ii)               To have worked for more than one year in the field of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene; and for this purpose postgraduate degree in Article 4(d)(i) shall be considered as equivalent to one year working experience and

(iii)             To demonstrate to the Council that he or she has broad technical understanding in Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.

(e)               Affiliated Member

Any person, firm, company or association which has an interest in occupational and environmental hygiene may become Affiliated Member by resolution of the Council.  Each firm, company or association accepted by the Council shall be entitled to nominate not more than three persons to be an Affiliated Member.

 

 

ADMISSION PROCEDURE

5                   All applications for membership of the Institute shall be made in writing using the form which will be provided on request by the Honorary Secretary. Upon receipt of the application and supporting documents, the Honorary Secretary shall forward copies to members of the Council who shall determine by simple majority decision on the need for interview, written examination or submission of further supporting documents and if required will appoint an interview panel of at least three Council Members to interview or examine the applicant at a suitable time and place.

6                   Applications and reports of Interview Panels shall be considered at a Council Meeting and admission or rejection of applicants recorded in the minutes of the meeting.  The name of an applicant who is admitted by the Council shall be notified to all corporate members on the web page of the Institute. If no objection from corporate member is received by the Council in one month after the notification the applicant is admitted to the Institute. If objection is received within one month, the Council shall review the application and interview the corporate member(s) who object to the application. If objection on the application is received from more than three corporate members, the decision on the application shall be resolved by majority in next general meeting.  The decision of the Council on an application for membership shall be communicated to the applicant by the Honorary Secretary. The Council shall not be required to give any reasons for the rejection of any application of membership in normal circumstances.  However, the applicant can appeal if he or she is supported and nominated by three or more corporate members and the decision on the application shall be resolved by majority vote on the next general meeting.

 

 

 

DUTY OF MEMBER

7                   Every Corporate and non-Corporate Member of the Institute shall at all times so order his or her conduct as to uphold the dignity and reputation of the profession of occupational and environmental hygiene and to safeguard the public interest in matters of health and safety and otherwise.  He or she shall exercise his or her profession skill and judgment to the best of his or her ability and discharge his or her responsibility with integrity.

8                   Each member shall have right to express his or her opinion on the institute and in the science and practice of occupational and environmental hygiene. The opinion may be in the form of written communication to the Council.  Unless the communication is considered by the Council as personal attack or irrelevant to the opinion of the institute, the written communication shall be distributed to other members within reasonable time. The member shall reduce the written communication to less than one thousand words if requested by the Council.

9                   Each member shall have one copy of the constitution after his or her subscription has been received by the Council.

 

 

INITIALS

10                Initials of Member

(a)               A Fellow Member may describe himself or herself as a Fellow Member of Hong Kong Institute of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene and may use the initials FHKIOEH after his or her name.

(b)               An Honorary Fellow may describe himself or herself as an Honorary Fellow of Hong Kong Institute of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene and may use the initials FHKIOEH (Honorary) after his or her name.

(c)               A Member may describe himself or herself as a Member of Hong Kong Institute of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene and may use the initials MHKIOEH after his or her name.

(d)               An Associate Member may describe as an Associate Member of Hong Kong Institute of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.

(e)               Affiliated Member shall not be entitled it to use the description as a Member of the Institute nor to use the Institute’s name in any way so as to suggest that the Institute approves of any product or action by the firm, company or association.

 

 

REGISTER OF MEMBERS

11                The Council shall keep a Register of Members which shall contain in respect of each member the following details:

(a)               his or her grade of membership;

(b)               a summary of his or her academic qualifications;

(c)               a summary of his or her experience in the field of occupational and environmental hygiene.

 

 

 

TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP

12                A member may apply to the Secretary for transfer to a higher grade of membership as soon as his or her academic qualifications and experience in the field of occupational and environmental hygiene appear to meet the requirements of the Institute.

(a)               Associate Member who has fulfilled the requirement as described in Article 4(a) may apply for transfer to Member.

(b)               Any person who has been an Associate member for two years and having not less than six years experience in occupational and environmental hygiene may apply for transfer to Member.

(c)               Upon receipt of the application and supporting documents the Honorary Secretary shall forward copies to members of the Council who shall determine by simple majority decision on the need for interview, written examination or submission of further supporting documents and if required will appoint an interview panel of at least three Council Members to interview or examine the applicant at a suitable time and place.

(d)               Applications and reports of Interview Panels shall be considered at a Council Meeting and admission or rejection of the transfer of membership be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

(e)               The name of the applicant, grade of membership at present and grade of membership after transfer shall be notified to all corporate members on the web page of the Institute.

(f)                If no objection from corporate member is received by the Council within one month after the notification, the applicant shall be formally transferred to the new grade of membership.

(g)               If objection is received within one month, the Council shall review the application and interview the member who objects to the transfer.

(h)               If objection on the application is received from more than three corporate members, the decision on the application shall be resolved by majority decision at the next general meeting.

(i)                 The decision of the Council on the transfer of membership shall be communicated to the applicant by the Honorary Secretary.

(j)                 The Council is not required to give any reasons for the rejection of any transfer of membership in normal circumstances.  However, the applicant can appeal if he or she is supported and nominated by three or more corporate members and the decision of the application shall be resolved by majority vote at the next general meeting.

 

 

 

RESIGNATION OF MEMBERSHIP

13                A member of any grade resigning shall do so in writing to the Secretary and acceptance shall be conditional upon his or her payment of subscriptions due up to the date of resignation.  The unpaid subscriptions may be waived by the Council in exceptional circumstances.

 

 

 

TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

14                If any corporate or non-corporate member refuses or willfully neglects to comply with any of these constitution or shall have been guilty of such conduct as in the opinion of the Council either shall have rendered him or her unfit to remain a member of the Institute or shall be injurious to the Institute, such member may by resolution of the Council be removed from membership, provided that he or she shall have been given three months notice of the intended resolution for his or her removal and shall have been afforded an opportunity of giving orally to a Committee of the Council or in writing to the Council any explanation or defense he or she may think fit.  The decision on termination corporate members by the Council shall be approved by more than half of the corporate members of the Institute present at a general meeting.

15                Membership or Affiliation shall be terminated if resignation shall be signified in writing, or if a Member shall die or an Affiliated Member shall be dissolved.

 

 

 

SUBSCRIPTION

16                No annual subscription shall be required from Honorary Fellow Member. The annual subscription fee of all grades of membership shall from time to time be determined by the corporate members in General Meeting.

17                Application for membership must submit an application fee of HK$100 which is not refundable. Upon successful admission to the membership, the annual subscription shall be charged until January 1 of the following year.

18                Annual subscription is due January 1 of every year.  Penalty of 10% surcharge may be imposed on payments after AGM of every year.

 

 

 

LIABILITY

19                Non-corporate members do not bear any liability in respect of the Institute.  Corporate member, other than officers and members of Council, shall have a maximum liability of $1,000. The rest of the liability shall be equally shared by the officers and members of Council at the time the debt and the liability incurred.

20                Officers or members of Council who vote against a motion in a Council meeting or are absent from the Council meeting can choose to resign from the Council in 7 days after the Council meeting in order not to incur any liability from the consequence of the motion. The officers or members of Council who choose to resign from the Council shall inform the President or Vice-President or Honorary Secretary by writing which shall include the reasons for his or her resignation.  The Honorary Secretary or other Council members shall inform the name of the Council member and his reason of resignation to all corporate members within a reasonable time.

 

 

COUNCIL

21                The Officers of the Institute shall consist of: one President, one Vice-President, one Honorary Secretary, one Honorary Treasurer.

22                The business of the Institute shall be carried on by a Council consisting of the President, the Vice-President, the Honorary Secretary, the Honorary Treasurer and not less than two Member of Council.

23                The term of office of the President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and Members of Council shall be one year.

24                The Officers and Members of Council shall be elected annually by a majority vote of corporate members present at the Annual General Meeting by paper secret ballot.

25                The Officers and Members of Council shall continue in office until the close of the next Annual General Meeting.  New members of the Council shall take office at the close of the Annual General Meeting at which they are elected.

26                With the exception that no President of Council shall continue to hold President office for more than two years consecutively, all officers and Council Members are eligible for re-election.

27                An Officer or Member of Council resigning during the year shall do so in writing to the President, Vice-President or the Secretary.

28                Vacancy of President occurring during the year shall be filled by Vice-President and vacancy of Vice-President shall be filled by Honorary Secretary. Other council member vacancies occurring during the year may be filled by a corporate member by the resolution of the council. A corporate member appointed to fill a casual vacancy shall retire at the Annual General Meeting which follows his appointment, but he shall be eligible for re-election.

 

 

RIGHT TO VOTE AND BE ELECTED AS OFFICERS OR MEMBER OF COUNCIL

29                Only corporate members who have paid the subscription of the year may be eligible for election as Officers or Member of Council.

30                Only corporate members who have paid the subscription of the year shall have the right to vote to elect officers or member of council or auditor.  The auditor(s) may not be a member of the Institute. Non-corporate member shall have no vote in election.

 

 

 

POWER OF COUNCIL

31                The Council shall be responsible for organizing the activities of the Institute and managing its business between the Annual General Meetings.

32                The Council has power to govern, manage and regulate the finances, accounts and all affairs whatsoever of the Institute consistent with the Constitution.

33                The President shall normally preside at all business meetings of the Institute and co-ordinate its functions. In the event of a tie vote, the President of the meeting, with the exception of a general meeting, shall exercise a casting vote in addition to his deliberative vote.

34                The Honorary Secretary shall be responsible for correspondence and circulation to members.  He or she shall keep a register of all members and associate members and take the minutes at business meetings. 

 

 

FUNDS AND FINANCE

35                The funds of the Institute shall be used to further the objects in Article 3.  All cheques shall be signed by the two persons from the designated members of the Council nominated for this purpose.

36                The Council may accept and raise money or accept donation for the purpose of the Institute and may use such funds to further the objects in Article 3.

37                The Council may engage professional or other assistance, to appoint bankers and any other agents or staff and may pay such reasonable fees or remuneration as it may think fit.

 

 

MEETING

38                The Annual General Meeting shall be held in the third quarter of each year.  A quorum shall consist of not less than 15 of corporate members who have paid the subscription of the year in Hong Kong on the day.  The business at each Annual General Meeting shall include:-

(a)               Report on the activities of the Institute.

(b)               Presentation of the Balance Sheet and Income and Expenditure of the Society duly audited.

(c)               Announcement of Officers

(d)               Announcement of Council 

(e)               Announcement of Auditor

(f)                Other business.

39                All members shall be notified in writing 14 days the place and time prior to the Annual General Meeting.

40                An Extraordinary General Meeting may be held at the request of the Council or upon the written request of five or more corporate members.  14 days’ notice must be given of such a meeting including place, time and the business to be discussed. Resolutions of such a meeting must be confined to notified business.

41                The quorum of Extraordinary General Meeting shall be not less than 30% of corporate members in Hong Kong on the day.

42                In the event that the quorum in Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting is not available after half hour of the start of the meeting, the meeting shall be adjourned but held again within three months.  14 days’ notice should be given to all corporate members on the time and place of the adjourned general meeting.  The quorum in the adjourned general meeting shall be not less than three corporate members or not less than 10% of corporate members in Hong Kong on the day, whichever is more.

 

 

 

ELECTION PROCEDURE IN GENERAL MEETING

43                Officers, Members of Council, auditor(s) shall be elected by secret vote.

44                The election shall be monitored by either the legal advisor of the institute or any Honorary Fellow Member or any person appointed in past Annual General Meetings.

45                The candidate for selection must be nominated by one corporate member and seconded by another corporate member. The candidates shall team up to form a chamber(s) for election. The candidate(s) for selection of President shall inform the Honorary Secretary

46                The list of candidates and their positions in the chamber(s) and the auditor(s) for election before 1st August of the year.

47                The information of chamber(s) for election and vote in a ballot shall be sent by Honorary Secretary to corporate members eligible to vote by registered mails or other reliable means at least one month before the Annual General Meeting.

48                The vote in ballot from corporate members shall be returned to Honorary Secretary not later than ten days before the Annual General Meeting.  Any late returned or non-returned vote ballot shall not be counted as valid vote.

49                Corporate member shall have an option to select the chamber for election or give up vote in a ballot.  No indication on the ballot or selection of more than one chamber shall render the vote void.

50                If there is only one chamber for election, the chamber shall be elected to the officers, council members, auditor(s).  If there is more than one chamber for election, the chamber which has a simple majority of the support votes shall be elected to the Officers, Council Members, auditor(s).  If two or more chambers for election have most but equal support vote, second vote shall be required in the annual general meeting.

51                If there is no candidate informed the Honorary Secretary before 1st August of the year on the successful formation of chamber for election, the existing Council members shall continue to serve until a chamber for election is formed and elected.

52                Council Meeting shall be held at least every three months.  A quorum shall consist of three.

53                Ordinary Meetings of the Institute shall be held as arranged by the Council.

54                At all general meetings of the Institute, the President (or in his absence the Vice-President or the Honorary Secretary) shall be the chairman of the general meeting.  In the absence of the President, the Vice-President or the Honorary Secretary, the corporate members present shall elect an acting Chairman.

55                By the resolution of the Council, committees and/or subcommittees may be formed to further the objects of the Institute. The Council can appoint chairman of the committees and/or subcommittees.

56                All decisions at meetings shall be decided by a majority vote. In the event of a tied vote, the Chairman of the meeting shall exercise a casting vote in addition to his deliberative vote.

57                In all meetings when voting is involved, voting shall be by secret vote unless all corporate members present in the meeting agree to vote by other means.  However, upon the request of any corporate member in the meeting, voting shall be by secret ballot.

 

 

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

58                Amendment to the Constitution may be proposed and seconded and presented to the Council by corporate members.  The Council shall submit them at the next Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting called for the purpose.  14 days’ notice in writing must be given of the proposed changes but the final decision shall be taken at the General Meeting by a 2/3 majority of those present.

 

 

 

DISSOLUTION OF THE INSTITUTE

59                The Institute may be dissolved at a General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting called for the purpose.  The decision must be approved by not less than 2/3 of the corporate members of the society.

60                If upon the winding up of the Society there remains, after all debts and liabilities have been paid, any assets of property for disposal, the same shall be EITHER

(a)               distributed to charitable organizations. Such organizations shall be named and approved by a majority present at the General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting approving the dissolution of the Institute, OR

(b)               used to set up a limited company according to The Companies Ordinance and the shares distributed amongst all corporate members at the time of dissolution and who can be contacted by registered mail.  The shares are distributed in proportional to the number of years joining as corporate members of the Institute.

 

 

- END -

 

12 December 1991 (1st Edition)

28 November 1997 (2nd Edition)

28 September 1999 (3rd Edition)

25 September 2001 (4th Edition)

17 September 2004 (5th Edition)

20 September 2007 (6th Edition)