Chapter 26 - Workers' Compensation Systems, Topics In.docxVIP专享VIP免费原创优质

Chapter26-Workers'CompensationSystems,TopicsInWORK-RELATEDDISEASESANDOCCUPATIONALDISEASES:THEILOINTERNATIONALLISTMichelLesageIn1919,theyearofitscreation,theInternationalLabourOrganization(ILO)declaredthatanthraxwasanoccupationaldisease.In1925,thefirstILOListofOccupationalDiseaseswasestablishedbytheWorkmen’sCompensation(OccupationalDiseases)Convention(No.18).Therewerethreeoccupationaldiseaseslisted.ConventionNo.42(1934)revisedConventionNo.18withalistoftenoccupationaldiseases.In1964,theInternationalLabourConferenceadoptedtheEmploymentInjuryBenefitsConvention(No.121),thistimewithaseparateschedule(ListofOccupationalDiseases)appendedtotheConvention,whichallowsforamendingtheschedulewithouthavingtoadoptanewConvention(ILO1964).DefinitionofWork-RelatedDiseasesandOccupationalDiseasesInthethirdeditionoftheILO’sEncyclopaediaofOccupationalHealthandSafety,adistinctionwasmadeamongthepathologicalconditionsthatcouldaffectworkersinwhichdiseasesduetooccupation(occupationaldiseases)anddiseasesaggravatedbyworkorhavingahigherincidenceowingtoconditionsofwork(work-relateddiseases)wereseparatedfromconditionshavingnoconnectionwithwork.However,insomecountrieswork-relateddiseasesaretreatedthesameaswork-causeddiseases,whichareinfactoccupationaldiseases.Theconceptsofwork-relateddiseasesandoccupationaldiseaseshavealwaysbeenamatterofdiscussion.In1987,ajointILO/WHOexpertcommitteeonoccupationalhealthofferedthesuggestionthatthetermwork-relateddiseasesmaybeappropriatetodescribenotonlyrecognizedoccupationaldiseases,butotherdisorderstowhichtheworkenvironmentandperformanceofworkcontributesignificantlyasoneoftheseveralcausativefactors(JointILO/WHOCommitteeonOccupationalHealth1989).Whenitisclearthatacausalrelationshipexistsbetweenanoccupationalexposureandaspecificdisease,thatdiseaseisusuallyconsideredbothmedicallyandlegallyasoccupationalandmaybedefinedassuch.However,notallwork-relateddiseasescanbedefinedsospecifically.TheILOEmploymentInjuryBenefitsRecommendation,1964(No.121),paragraph6(1),definesoccupationaldiseaseasfollows:“EachMembershould,underprescribedconditions,regarddiseasesknowntoariseoutoftheexposuretosubstancesanddangerousconditionsinprocesses,tradesoroccupationsasoccupationaldiseases.”Nevertheless,itisnotalwaysthateasytodesignateadiseaseasbeingwork-related.Infact,thereisawiderangeofdiseasesthatcouldberelatedinonewayoranothertooccupationorworkingconditions.Ontheonehand,therearetheclassicaldiseasesthatareoccupationalinnature,generallyrelatedtoonecausalagentandrelativelyeasytoidentify.Ontheotherhand,thereareallsortsofdisorderswithoutstrongorspecificconnectionstooccupationandwithnumerouspossiblecausalagents.Manyofthesediseaseswithamultifactorialaetiologymaybework-relatedonlyundercertainconditions.Thesubjectwasdiscussedataninternationalsymposiumonwork-relateddiseasesorganizedbytheILOinLinz,Austria,inOctober1992(ILO1993).Therelationshipbetweenworkanddiseasecouldbeidentifiedinthefollowingcategories:·occupationaldiseases,havingaspecificorastrongrelationtooccupation,generallywithonlyonecausalagent,andrecognizedassuch·work-relateddiseases,withmultiplecausalagents,wherefactorsintheworkenvironmentmayplayarole,togetherwithotherriskfactors,inthedevelopmentofsuchdiseases,whichhaveacomplexaetiology·diseasesaffectingworkingpopulations,withoutcausalrelationshipwithworkbutwhichmaybeaggravatedbyoccupationalhazar...