Hong Kong Institute of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

香 港 職 業 及 環 境 衛 生 學 會

A member of International Occupational Hygiene Association

and Hong Kong Federation of Medical Societies

P.O. Box 25645,  Harbour Building Post Office,  Central,  Hong Kong.

HKIOEH AGM 2001 Special Newsletter/ e-News No. 27,

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 Special issue for AGM 2001

 

Once a year is just good enough. Since the Newsletter goes electronic early this year, many members have voiced their support for the move. Indeed, the homepage of the HKIOEH www.hkioeh.org.hk is very well designed. Members or interested people can browse it for new activities of the Institute. The editorial is especially fond of the occupational safety and health links because they contain many useful websites. Should someone need update of OSH information or reference material for research purpose, they can switch to a whole collection of important sites that they want. Try it on now if you have not done so.

 

 

AGM 2001

 

AGM 2001 is on this evening. Apart from this important event, we have invited Dr. LAM Ka Se, Professor of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to deliver a talk about “Outdoor Vs Indoor Air Quality”. So, stay behind for the excellent talk after the election and business of the Institute. You will gain 0.25 CM points for RPH and a delicious AGM dinner follows also.

                                     

 

MEMBERSHIP

 

In the recent Council Meetings, new members were nominated and admitted by the Council. Welcome you all!

 

Fellow members

             Mr. Percy TO,

             Miss Tammy LO,

             Mr. Paul K.P. FUNG

             Dr. Edmund K.M. HAU.

Full Members

             Mr. CHAN Pui-yan, Brien

             Mr. TUNG Man-kin, Sam

             Mr. WONG Kin-yan, Hector

Members upgraded to Full Members

             Mr. FUNG Wing Hon

For new application and membership affairs, readers may write to the Secretariat (attn. Mr. Percy TO, at fax 2565 1349 or e-mail to hkioeh@netvigator.com.) for information. New applicants for full membership will normally be required to attend an interview before admission.

 

 

EDITORIAL

 

News and comments from the readers are most welcome.  Please send your articles to the Editorial Board at P.O. Box 25645, Harbour Building Post Office, Central, Hong Kong.

 

The articles in the newsletter represent the views of the authors only. The editorial board is not responsible for the accuracy of the information or any legal liability. Any comments can however be channelled through the editor to the writer for exchange of views and opinions.

 

 

Reference for Members

 

             Limited copies of the following titles are still available to members from the Editorial Board:

 

1.      The Handbook of Electricity Safety (漏電保護器應用) at HK$ 10.

2.      Guide Book for Occupational Health & Safety in Industrial Joint Venture Enterprises in China (涉外工業職業安全衛生指南) at the price of HK$60 (All to be collected in person).

 

For order of the above reference or other books, members may contact the Editorial Board. (Fax: 2565 1349 or telephone 2852 4047).

 

Annual Fees. The membership fees for different grades remain the same in Year 2001 as follows:

                   Fellow       HK$ 350

                   Member    HK$ 300

          Associate HK$ 200

Affiliated Member:     Person       HK$ 100

                                      Company  HK$ 3,000

For maintenance fee of RPH        HK$ 100.

 

Members are reminded to send in their annual subscription, which is due January 2001.  Payments may be made by a crossed check addressed to the “Hong Kong Institute of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene” or “香港職業及環境衛生學會”. The following is an invoice to ALL members.  If you need the invoice for budget or refund of the membership fee, please fill in the appropriate information and amount.

 

Invoice to all Members

 

Name:

 

Membership Grade:

 

Fee:

_________________________________________

 

From Secretary of                                 

“Hong Kong Institute of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene”

“香港職業及環境衛生學會”

25 September 2001                

 

 


                            

              Court-case reports

1.               Early in the year, a printing workshop was fined by the court because of excessive solvent vapour exposure at the workplace. It was well known that some cleaning solvents containing high percentage of n-hexane could have neurotoxic effect through either inhalation and skin absorption. To avoid the problem, the employers should choose the low n-hexane solvent (preferably less than 5% n-hexane) and at the same time provide exhaust ventilation to remove the solvent vapour generated during manual cleaning operation.  Personal protection is important if the cleaning operation is very frequently done during the working hours.  

 

2.               The F&IU (Confined space) Regulation since its amendment and enactment in June 2000 was first on trial on 4 September 2001.  In last November, a contractor responsible for repairing an underground sewer pipe did not follow the requirements of the new regulation: no risk assessment, no air testing, and no information nor instruction to the workers.  As a result two persons were injured and one died, when he tried to rescue the first two workers.

 

The contractor was finally convicted and in the sentence, the judge commented that it was a tragedy; no matter the contractor was a big or small company, they should follow the law.  If they could observe the requirements carefully, there should be no accident.

 

 

OSH legislation Update

 

The draft Occupational Safety and Health (Display Screen Equipment) Regulation will be discussed by the LEGCO again in mid October. It will be finalized soon.  In general, the regulation requires responsible persons for a workplace to carry out a risk assessment of Display Screen workstations in order to ensure adequate protection of the health of DSE users. A health guide would be issued also together to assist the employers in conducting the assessment and providing suitable control measures. Employers should also give necessary information and training to their employees for helping them to avoid the risk associated with the display screen work. Most workplaces that involving the use of computer workstations will be covered if the users normally use DSE as a significant part of his normal work.

 

 

Professional Development

 

1.        Conjoint Academic Meeting with the Hong Kong Society of Community Medicine on “Air quality Standards in Workplace” by TW TSIN at Lecture Hall, 4/F Duke of Windsor Service Building, Wanchai will be held on 17 October 2001 (6:00 pm). All are welcome and 0.25 CM points for RPH will be granted.

2.        The FMSHK-CMA 4th Bilateral Scientific Meeting in China from 9.11.to 13.11 2001. Contact the Secretariat for details before 19.10.2001 for registration.

3.        IOHA Bergen Conference 2002 now calls for Papers and the deadline for submission is on 1 October 2001.

 

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     Chief Editor:  T.W.  TSIN

    Editors:   S.K LAM, and Percy TO

AGM 2001 Special *************