Conference Programme

19 November, 2026 (Thursday)
Morning session
09:30 – 12:10Afternoon session
14:00 – 16:30
Room S221, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Cantonese
Morning session
09:30 - 12:10
 Afternoon session
14:00 - 16:30
Welcome Address
Ir Simon LIU, MH, Chairman of the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board
Opening Remarks
Mr. Sam HUI, JP, Commissioner for Labour
Opening Ceremony
Keynote Session (Putonghua session with simultaneous interpretation services) Details
Dust Toxicity in Advanced Manufacturing: Creation & Application of Comprehensive Preventive & Control Technologies for Pneumoconiosis by Medical–Engineering Collaborative Technology
Dr. LI Xudong, Head of Guangdong Province Hospital for Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment
Outline:
  • Addressing the technical challenge of “precise assessment of dust-related hazards and risks,” created key fullchain monitoring, earlywarning, and risk-assessment technologies for industrial dust-related hazards based on regional macro - warning, industry risk identification and enterprise quantitative assessment.
  • Addressing the technical challenge of “efficient control of dust hazards in advanced manufacturing industries,” integrated research and development of engineering protection materials, technologies, and equipment.
  • Addressing the technical challenge of “effective respiratory protection for occupational populations,” developed and applied key technologies for health-behavior intervention and respiratory protection effectiveness among exposed workers.
  • Addressing the technical challenge of “sensitive identification of early pneumoconiosis and its complications,” developed and applied key technologies for early diagnosis and treatment in high-risk groups for pneumoconiosis.
Panel discussion: Funded Research Project Sharing Details
Moderator
Dr. Betty YOUNG, Chairperson of the Committee on Research, Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board

Project 1
Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Pneumoconiosis Screening and Staging from Chest Radiographs
Prof. CHEN Hao, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Outline:
Pneumoconiosis is a class of interstitial lung disease where inhalation of dust particles causes lung dysfunction. Chest radiograph is the main diagnostic imaging technique for determining pneumoconiosis. Artificial intelligence (AI) assisted diagnosis is potentially promising in accelerating pneumoconiosis screening and quantitative grading, lowering misdiagnosis rate, and alleviating radiologists' burden. Rather than developing a disease-specific model from scratch, the research institution first built SmartX, an X-ray foundation model trained on million-scale image–report pairs spanning ten anatomical regions to learn broadly transferable radiographic representations. The research institution then adapted SmartX to pneumoconiosis using lightweight task-specific fine-tuning, achieving a high performance for disease staging on clinical datasets. This project demonstrates how a general-purpose X-ray foundation model can be effectively translated into a specialised solution for occupational lung disease assessment.
Project 2
Nurse-led Acceptance-based Healthy Lifestyles Program for Community-dwelling Patients with Pneumoconiosis: A Waitlist Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Prof. TAM Hon-lon, Research Assistant Professor, The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Outline:
Respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and shortness of breath, are common among patients with pneumoconiosis. These symptoms may cause some patients to develop psychological distress. They believe that reduced engagement in daily activity could control the symptoms, resulting a decreased lung function. The study showed that the acceptance-based healthy lifestyles programme could significantly improve their psychological wellbeing and exercise self-efficacy. Psychological intervention may be considered in pneumoconiosis management.
Your Little Steps to Success Details
Ms. Becky NG, Lifestyle Management Centre Manager,
Ms. Joyce MA, Head of Rehabilitation Center, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital - Tsuen Wan
Outline:
  1. Overview of Comprehensive Community Rehabilitation (CCR) Programme
    • Health assessment content
    • Health assessment journey
    • Types of exercise prescribed
  2. Feedback and testimony of CCR patients
Integrated Care - A Community-Based Rehabilitation Support Programme for Chronic Pain and Respiratory Care Details
Dr. LAI King-kwong, Senior Director of Primary and Community Health Department, Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association
Outline:
Through a dual-track strategy of “Medical-wellness Care" and "Rehabilitation Support". The programme provides patients with pain management, health promotion, social connection, and daily living support. It aims to alleviate pain, enhance physical function, and empower patients to build self-management skills and stable social networks, ultimately improving their quality of life and enriching their daily experiences.
Welcome Address
Ir Simon LIU, MH, Chairman of the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board
Opening Remarks
Mr. David LAM, JP, Under Secretary for Development
Professional Organisations Partnership Scheme Launching Ceremony
Keynote Session (English session with simultaneous interpretation services)
The Engineered Stone Silicosis Epidemic: Beware Old Hazards Returning in a New FormDetails
Keynote Speaker
Prof. Malcolm SIM, Monash University
Outline:
Silicosis has been a well recognised occupational disease over many years in industries such as mining and construction. The introduction of engineered stone in the early 2000s, containing up to 95% crystalline silica bound together with resins and dyes, has led to a major epidemic of silicosis among stonemasons working with this material. Australian research found that about 25% of stonemasons taking part in a respiratory health screening programme were found to have silicosis and that established control measures were not used effectively. In response, the Australian government established a national taskforce to investigate this threat to worker health, which culminated in Australia banning the use of engineered stone in 2024. This is an international issue, with preliminary research from many other countries starting to document a similar epidemic of silicosis among their engineered stone workers. This talk will present the risks from engineered stone and demonstrate how research findings can be translated into effective preventive policy responses.
Construction Dust Reduction Tools - Occupational Safety and Health Technology Development and Subsidy Scheme Details
Dr. Winson YEUNG, Principal Consultant of the Occupational Safety and Health Council
Outline:
  1. Advanced Power Tool Technologies for Enhancing Construction Site Safety
    Introduce how advanced power tool technologies can significantly elevate site safety and reduce accident risks on construction sites. This section will highlight advanced power tools integrated with advanced safety features, such as angle grinders equipped with anti-kickback detection technology, and dust reduction technologies, etc.
  2. Relevant Subsidy Scheme for Construction Power Tools
    Introduce the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board (PCFB) subsidy schemes for the construction and renovation sectors. This section covers eligibility criteria for small and medium enterprises and practical steps for contractors to secure subsidies that control respirable dust.
Occupational Health Award 2025-26: Prevention of Pneumoconiosis Best Practices Award Sharing Details
Excellence Award: CRBC-Build King Joint Venture
Mr. Kay CHAN, Project Safety Officer
Outline:
Innovative Dust Control Measures in Major Infrastructure Projects
  • Introduce the dust control strategy for MTRC Tuen Mun South Extension (Contract 1500)
  • 24-hour real-time dust monitoring with automatic water spraying
  • Wire saw cutting to minimise dust
  • Remote-controlled hydraulic demolition robots
  • Pneumoconiosis prevention education and seminars
  • Health screening and Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) demonstration
Occupational Health Award 2025-26: Prevention of Pneumoconiosis Best Practices Award Sharing Details
Innovative Improvement Measures Award: China Road and Bridge Corporation
Mr. MA Sze-kit, Project Safety Manager
Outline:
Practical Dust Prevention and Control Measures in a Large-Scale Infrastructure Project
  • Deployment of High-Quality Machinery & Equipment
  • Integration of Construction Robotics
  • Implementation of Design for Safety (DfS)
Closing Remarks
Mr. Anthony CHAN, Chairperson of 2026 Conference Organising Taskforce

Acknowledgments

Supporting Organisations