Introduction
Charged with the responsibility of preventing the occurrence of noise-induced hearing loss due to employment, the Board has been undertaking a comprehensive programme of educational and publicity activities to inform the public about the Occupational Deafness Compensation Scheme and to arouse public awareness on preventing occupational deafness.
Publicity through Mass Media
In order to reach the public, the Board has been active in utilising different mass media channels, such as TV and radio commercials, to publicise its work.To reach workers when they are commuting to and from work, the Board has made extensive efforts to put up publicity in the public transport systems.
Exhibitions and Site Visits
The Board stages roving exhibitions at various sites to publicise the compensation scheme as well as the message of hearing protection at work.In order to reach workers in noisy occupations directly, the Board conducts safety talks at different noisy workplaces, such as construction sites, shipyards and airport. In addition, in co-operation with construction developers, the Board had sent staff to introduce the occupational deafness compensation scheme and concepts of hearing conservation to construction workers at their induction courses.
Education
To effectively combat the hazards of noise at work, it is essential that supervisers and managers have a good understanding of the problems and how they could be tackled. Towards this end, the Board joins hand with the Occupational Safety and Health Council in organising a training course on managing noise at work for the managerial or supervisory personnel of those establishments with noisy processes.
Besides, the Board has produced a "Hearing Conservation” education video (in Cantonese, click here to download) which introduces and explains occupational deafness, aiming at reminding both employers and employees of the matters for attention when working at noisy workplaces.
Labour Group Activities Sponsorship Scheme
The objective of the Scheme is to encourage trade unions or labour groups to help publicise the compensation scheme and the hearing conservation message in their activities organised for members.
Occupational Safety and Health Joint Functions
As a joint effort, the Board supported and participated in several major annual occupational safety and health campaigns, including the Construction Industry Safety Award Scheme, the Catering Industry Safety Award Scheme and the Occupational Health Campaign, co-organised by the Labour Department and other prominent safety promotion organisations.