Compensation for occupational lung disease in non-mining industry

The course from claim submission (by the National Centre for Occupational Health (NCOH)) to compensation (by the Workmen's Compensation Commissioner (WCC)) in 56 cases of occupational disease (OD) was traced. Success rates were determined and the procedural factors which affect claim outcomes isolated. Of note are the 22% of claims which remained unresolved 3 years after submission. The long latent period of ODs causes difficulty in obtaining the employer's corroborating docmentation; this was found to be a major factor in the non-resolution of claillls. Active intervention by the NCOH resulted in claim resolution for an additional 9%. These findings support the proposal that the WCC establish a network of access points for workers where assistance from trained staff is available. It is further recommended that the WCC accept substitutes for the employer's docmentary proof in cases where this is unobtainable