FACTORIES (MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS) REGULATIONS (Particulars)

Dr Wong Kwei Cheong asked the Minister for Labour if he will indicate (i) the total number of designated factory doctors registered under the Factories Act from 1985 up to the latest available date, (ii) for what diseases factory workers are compulsorily checked under the Act, (iii) the number of factory workers checked per year from 1985 to 1987 and (iv) any new diseases that will come under the Act.

The Minister for Labour (Mr Lee Yock Suan): Mr Speaker, Sir, to-date, a total of 321 designated factory doctors have been registered under the Factories Act.

Compulsory medical examinations are required for factory, construction and certain other workers who are exposed to the following occupational hazards:-

Compressed air environment; excessive noise; arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, manganese or any of their compounds; organophosphates; asbestos; benzene; raw cotton; silica; tar, pitch, bitumen, creosote; and vinyl chloride monomer.

The numbers of factory workers examined between 1985 and 1987 under the Factories (Medical Examinations) Regulations 1985 are as follows: Year No. of Workers ---- -------------- 1985 25,800 1986 34,100 1987 33,200

There are currently no new occupational hazards proposed for inclusion under the Act.