Industrial Disease

Contracting an industrial disease or being injured in an industrial accident can seriously affect a person's quality of life - in some cases, industrial disease can even be terminal.

What is an industrial disease?

The term industrial disease refers to a range of medical conditions contracted as a result of working in an industrial environment for a prolonged period of time.

Industrial diseases include:

• Asbestosis - a lung disease caused by inhaling harmful asbestos fibres
• Mesothelioma - a form of cancer which can also be caused by inhaling asbestos fibres
• Industrial deafness - also known as noise-induced hearing loss
• Vibration white finger - caused by prolonged use of vibrating tools or machinery

Similarly, an industrial accident is an accident that occurs within the industrial working environment - for example a factory, warehouse or manufacturing plant.

Your employer's 'duty of care'

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states that all employers have a duty of care towards their employees and they must take all the 'reasonably practicable' steps to prevent their employees suffering from work-related illness or injuries.

Employers must do all they can to prevent their employees from contracting industrial diseases, or being involved in industrial accidents - for example, making sure they are aware of any potential harmful substances in the working environment such as asbestosis, and ensuring all employees have the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

When the employer does not take reasonable steps to reduce the risks, and an employee is injured or contracts an industrial disease as a result, they may be entitled to industrial disease compensation. 

Am I entitled to industrial disease compensation?

Industrial disease claims differ from other personal injury claims, in that the symptoms of an industrial disease may appear months, or even years after they are exposed to the cause of the injury.

For example, someone who works with loud machinery for several years may only become aware that they suffer from industrial deafness several years after they start using the machinery. For this reason, industrial disease claims can be made up to three years after the person recognised symptoms of their disease.

This site can help you understand more about the different types of industrial disease and whether you're eligible to make an industrial disease claim, as well as how to prevent industrial diseases.

If you're still unsure about whether you can claim industrial disease compensation, simply give one of our friendly advisors a call - you won't be put under any pressure to make a claim.