Introduction
The Workers Compensation Dust Diseases Board which was established in July 1989 aims to provide compensation to industry workers that are exposed to dust diseases. The dust diseases board makes sure that the workers will be fully compensated if ever they have developed dust diseases or they die because of the certain disease. The dust diseases board also allows the dependents of the workers to claim their compensation in cases that they have already been deceased because of the dust disease related ailment.
Dust Diseases
According to Dust Diseases act in 1942, workers should be provided compensation for those that are exposed to certain dust diseases and have also developed an illness due to the diseases as well. Developments of these diseases are also compensated by the dust diseases board. These diseases are Aluminosis (a lung disease caused by inhalation of aluminium-bearing dust), chronic lung diseases caused by prolonged exposure to Asbestos such as Asbestosis, Asbestos induced carcinoma, and Asbestosis related pleural disease, Bagassosis (inflammation of alveoli due to inhalation of bagasse or sugar cane dust), Berylliosis (chronic lung disease caused by exposure to beryllium and its compounds), Byssinosis (a lung disease caused by exposure to cotton dust), Farmer’s Lung (an inflammation of the alveoli caused by inhalation of hay dust and other agricultural products), Hard Metal Pneumoconiosis (lung disease caused by exposure to dust especially in mines), Mesothelioma (cancer that develops in the mesothelium, the lining of internal organs which is also caused by exposure to asbestos), and lung diseases caused by prolonged exposure to silicon such as Silicosis and Silico-tiberculosis.
Compensation and Benefits
Compensation screening
The Dust Diseases board not only gives compensation to those workers that have already developed dust diseases or to those workers who have already died due to dust diseases. They also provide compensation for disease screening to monitor if the workers have started to develop the disease.
Medical and Funeral Benefits
The Dust Diseases board formulated benefits for the workers such as weekly benefits which would give compensation to a worker if they are not able to go to work due to work-related injuries and ailments. They also entitle workers for permanent impairment benefits, medical, hospital and rehabilitation expenses, property damage expenses, ambulance treatment, and car travel expenses to attend appointments for medical and other treatment. Workers who have been deceased due to work-related injuries or diseases would be entitled to funeral benefits. Inclusion of the funeral benefits are caskets, single mourning car, single cemetery site or single component of a double site, newspaper announcements, flowers for the casket, issue of death certificate, clergy fees, funeral directors fees, and transfer fees.
Research Grants
Aside from the benefits and compensation provided to the workers, the Dust Diseases Board has also sponsored researches regarding occupational dust diseases. This will help in the development of new treatments for the dust diseases. It will even help in the development of improved screening and diagnosis of dust diseases. The research would also make way for understanding the different dust diseases and discovering ways of prevention for such diseases.
