Hong Kong Ordinances

EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE - SCHEDULE 2

OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES

Item	Description of occupational disease	Nature of trade, industry or process	Prescribed period for purposes of section 32
	A. CAUSED BY PHYSICAL AGENTS
A1	Inflammation, ulceration or malignant disease of the skin or subcutaneous tissues or of the bones, or blood dyscrasia, or cataract, due to electro-magnetic radiations (other than radiant heat), or to ionising particles	Any occupation involving exposure to electro-magnetic radiations other than radiant heat, or to ionising particles.	10 years.
A2	Heat cataract	Any occupation involving frequent or prolonged exposure to rays from molten or red-hot material.	3 years.
A3	Dysbarism, including decompression sickness, barotrauma and osteonecrosis	Any occupation involving subjection to compressed or rarefied air or other gases or gaseous mixtures.	1 year. In the case of arthritis-5 years.
A4	Cramp of the hand or forearm due to repetitive movements	Any occupation involving prolonged periods of handwriting, typing or other repetitive movements of the fingers, hand or arm.	1 year.
A5	Subcutaneous cellulitis of the hand (Beat hand)	Any occupation involving manual labour causing severe or prolonged friction or pressure on the hand.	1 year.
A6	Bursitis or subcutaneous cellulitis arising at or about the knee due to severe or prolonged external friction or pressure at or about the knee (Beat knee)	Any occupation involving manual labour causing severe or prolonged external friction or pressure at or about the knee.	1 year.
A7	Bursitis or subcutaneous cellulitis arising at or about the elbow due to severe or prolonged external friction or pressure at or about the elbow (Beat elbow)	Any occupation involving manual labour causing severe or prolonged external friction or pressure at or about the elbow.	1 year.
A8	Traumatic inflammation of the tendons of the hand or forearm (including elbow), or of the associated tendon sheaths (Amended L.N. 146 of 1999)	Any occupation involving manual labour, or frequent or repeated movements of the hand or wrist.	1 year.
A9	Carpal tunnel syndrome	Any occupation involving repetitive use of hand-held powered tools whose internal parts vibrate so as to transmit that vibration to the hand, but excluding those which are solely powered by hand.	1 year. (Added L.N. 146 of 1999)
	B. CAUSED BY BIOLOGICAL AGENTS
B1	Anthrax	Any occupation involving contact with animals infected with anthrax or the handling (including the loading and unloading or transport) of animal products or residues.	1 month.
B2	Glanders	Any occupation involving contact with equine animals or their carcasses.	1 month.
B3	Infection by leptospira	Any occupation involving- (a) work in places which are, or are liable to be, infested by rats, field mice or voles, or other small mammals; (b) work at dog kennels or the care or handling of dogs; (c) contact with bovine animals or their meat products or pigs or their meat products.	3 months.
B4	Pulmonary disease due to the inhalation of the dust of mouldy hay or other mouldy vegetable produce, and characterized by symptoms and signs attributable to a reaction in the peripheral part of the bronchopulmonary system, and giving rise to a defect in gas exchange (Farmer's lung)	Any occupation involving exposure to the dust of mouldy hay or other mouldy vegetable produce by reason of employment- (a) in agriculture, horticulture or forestry; or (b) loading or unloading or handling in storage such hay or other vegetable produce; or (c) handling bagasse.	1 year.
B5	Infection by organisms of the genus brucella	Any occupation involving contact with- (a) animals infected by brucella, or their carcasses or parts thereof, or their untreated products; or (b) laboratory specimens or vaccines of, or containing, brucella.	1 year.

B6	Tuberculosis	Any occupation involving close and frequent contacts with a source or sources of tuberculosis infection by reason of employment- (a) in the medical treatment or nursing of a person or persons suffering from tuberculosis, or in a service ancillary to such treatment or nursing;	6 months.
		(b) in attendance upon a person or persons suffering from tuberculosis, where the need for such attendance arises by reason of physical or mental infirmity; (c) as a research worker engaged in research in connection with tuberculosis;
		(d) as a laboratory worker, pathologist, or post-mortem worker, where the occupation involves working with materials which are a source of tuberculosis infection, or in any occupation ancillary to such employment.
B7	Parenterally contracted viral hepatitis	Any occupation involving contact with- (a) human blood or human blood products; or (b) a source of viral hepatitis.	6 months.
B8	Infection by streptococcus suis	Any occupation involving contact with pigs infected by streptococcus suis, or with the carcasses, products or residues of pigs so infected.	1 month.
B9	Avian chlamydiosis	Any occupation involving contact with birds infected with chlamydia psittaci, their remains or untreated products.	1 month.
B10	Legionnaires' disease	Any occupation involving the repair, maintenance or service of- (a) cooling systems that use fresh water; or (b) hot water service systems.	1 month. (Added L.N. 146 of 1999)
B11	Severe acute respiratory syndrome	Any occupation involving close and frequent contacts with a source or sources of severe acute respiratory syndrome infection by reason of employment- (a) in the medical treatment or nursing of a person suffering from severe acute respiratory syndrome, or in a service ancillary to that treatment or nursing; (b) in attending to a person suffering from severe acute respiratory syndrome, where the need for attendance arises by reason of the person's physical or mental infirmity; (c) in identifying, detecting, tracing, isolating, detaining, supervising or surveillance of a person suffering from severe acute respiratory syndrome; (d) as a research worker engaged in research in connection with severe acute respiratory syndrome, or in a service ancillary to that research; or (e) as a laboratory worker, pathologist, post-mortem worker or funeral services worker, where the employment involves the handling of any human body or other materials that are a source of severe acute respiratory syndrome infection, or in a service ancillary to that handling.	1 month. (Added L.N. 213 of 2004)
B12	Avian influenza A	Any occupation involving close and frequent contacts with a source or sources of avian influenza A infection by reason of employment- (a) as a worker engaged in the handling of poultry or birds or their uncooked remains or residues, or their untreated products, that are a source of avian influenza A infection, or in a service ancillary to that handling; (Amended L.N. 13 of 2005) (b) as a research worker engaged in research in connection with avian influenza A, or in a service ancillary to that research; or (c) as a laboratory worker engaged in the handling of materials that are a source of avian influenza A infection, or in a service ancillary to that handling.	14 days. (Added L.N. 213 of 2004)
	C. CAUSED BY CHEMICAL AGENTS
C1	Poisoning by lead or a compound of lead	Any occupation involving the use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes, dust or vapour of, lead or a compound of lead, or a substance containing lead.	2 years. In the case of nephritis -4 years.
C2	Poisoning by manganese or a compound of manganese	Any occupation involving the use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes, dust or vapour of, manganese or a compound of manganese, or a substance containing manganese.	2 years.
C3	Poisoning by phosphorus or an inorganic compound of phosphorus or the anti-cholinesterase or pseudo anti-cholinesterase action of organic phosphorus compounds	Any occupation involving the use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes, dust or vapour of, phosphorus or a compound of phosphorus, or a substance containing phosphorus.	3 years.
C4	Poisoning by arsenic or a compound of arsenic	Any occupation involving the use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes, dust or vapour of, arsenic or a compound of arsenic, or a substance containing arsenic.	1 year.
C5	Poisoning by mercury or a compound of mercury	Any occupation involving the use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes, dust or vapour of, mercury or a compound of mercury, or a substance containing mercury.	2 years.
C6	Poisoning by carbon bisulphide	Any occupation involving the use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes, or vapour of, carbon bisulphide or a compound of carbon bisulphide, or a substance containing carbon bisulphide.	1 year.
C7	Poisoning by benzene or a homologue of benzene	Any occupation involving the use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes of, or vapour containing, benzene or any of its homologues.	1 year.
C8	Poisoning by a nitro-or amino-or chloro-derivative of benzene or of a homologue of benzene, or poisoning by nitro-chlorobenzene	Any occupation involving the use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes of, or vapour containing, a nitro-or amino-or chloro-derivative of benzene or nitro-chlorobenzene.	1 year. In the case of neoplasm -10 years.
C9	Poisoning by dinitrophenol or a homologue or by substituted dinitrophenols or by the salts of such substances	Any occupation involving the use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes of, or vapour containing, dinitrophenol or a homologue or substituted dinitrophenols or the salts of such substances.	1 year.

	D. CAUSED BY MISCELLANEOUS AGENTS
D1	Inflammation or ulceration of the skin produced by dust, liquid or vapour (including the condition known as chloracne but excluding chrome ulceration)	Any occupation involving exposure to dust, liquid or vapour, capable of irritating the skin.	1 year.
D2	Inflammation or ulceration of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory passages or mouth produced by dust, liquid or vapour	Any occupation involving exposure to dust, liquid or vapour.	1 year.
D3	Carcinoma of the nasal cavity or associated air sinuses (nasal carcinoma)	Any occupation involving the manufacture or repair of wooden goods or the manufacture or repair of footwear or components of footwear made wholly or partly of leather or fibre board.	10 years.
D4	Byssinosis	Any occupation involving exposure to raw cotton dust.	1 year.
D5	Occupational asthma	Any occupation involving the use or handling of, or exposure to, any of the following agents which may irritate or sensitise the respiratory system- (a) isocyanates; (b) platinum salts; (c) fumes or dusts arising from the manufacture, transport or use of hardening agents (including epoxy resin curing agents) based on phthalic anhydride, trimellitic anhydride or triethylenet-etramine; (d) fumes arising from the use of rosin as a soldering flux; (e) formaldehyde; (f) proteolytic enzymes; (g) animals or insects used for the purposes of research or education or in laboratories;	1 month.
		(h) dusts arising from the sowing, cultivation, harvesting, drying, handling, milling, transport or storage of barley, oats, rye, wheat or maize, or the handling, milling, transport or storage of meal or flour made therefrom. (i) any other sensitising agent inhaled at work. (Added L.N. 146 of 1999)