An\u00a0occupational disease\u00a0is any chronic ailment that occurs as a result of work or occupational activity. It is an aspect of\u00a0occupational safety and health. An occupational disease is typically identified when it is shown that it is more prevalent in a given body of workers than in the general population, or in other worker populations. The\u00a0first such disease to be recognized,\u00a0squamous-cell carcinoma\u00a0of the\u00a0scrotum, was identified in\u00a0chimney sweep\u00a0boys by\u00a0Sir Percival Pott\u00a0in 1775.<\/p>\n
Occupational hazards that are of a traumatic nature (such as falls by roofers) are not considered to be occupational diseases. \u201cUnder the law of\u00a0workers’ compensation\u00a0in many jurisdictions, there is a presumption that specific disease are caused by the worker being in the work environment and the burden is on the employer or insurer to show that the disease came about from another cause. Diseases compensated by national workers compensation authorities are often termed occupational diseases. However, many countries do not offer compensations for certain diseases like musculoskeletal disorders caused by work\u201d (Wikipedia<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe new list includes a range of internationally recognized occupational diseases, from illnesses caused by chemical, physical and biological agents to respiratory and skin diseases, musculoskeletal disorders and occupational cancer. Mental and behavioral disorders have for the first time been specifically included in the ILO list. This list also has open items in all the sections dealing with the afore-mentioned diseases. The open items allow the recognition of the occupational origin of diseases not specified in the list if a link is established between exposure to risk factors arising from work activities and the disorders contracted by the worker. The criteria used by the tripartite experts for deciding what specific diseases be considered in the updated list include that: there is a causal relationship with a specific agent, exposure or work process; they occur in connection with a specific work environment and\/or in specific occupations; they occur among the groups of workers concerned with a frequency which exceeds the average incidence within the rest of the population; and there is scientific evidence of a clearly defined pattern of disease following exposure and plausibility of cause\u201d (International Labour Organization<\/a>).<\/p>\n Just a sampling of some of the conditions, disorders, and disease included on this list are:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The saddest part of the story for many who end up suffering the effects of occupational diseases is learning to survive after their injury. They and their families often struggle to get the help they deserve and so desperately need. This story from Lancaster Pennsylvania a few years ago highlights this tragic situation: \u201cFinding the first bit of evidence that Gene Cooper\u2019s job damaged his brain and destroyed his health was the easy part. That only took his wife four years, eight doctors, and at least a dozen tests. The hard part: getting his former employer to pay. Eight years have passed since Sandra Cooper filed a workers\u2019 compensation claim on her husband\u2019s behalf. She prevailed after 4\u00bd years of wrangling, when a judge agreed that chemical exposure on the job at a flooring factory was the reason Gene Cooper\u2014a bright father of two with a quirky sense of humor\u2014had transformed into a nursing-home patient who couldn\u2019t speak and sometimes stared into space when his family visited. That was 2012. Sandra Cooper is still trying to get medical bills and lost wages covered today, nearly two years after he died\u201d (Slate<\/a>).<\/p>\nThe Official Lists of Occupational Diseases<\/h2>\n
\n
Getting the Help You Need<\/h2>\n