J Korean Med Sci.  2014 Jun;29(Suppl):S47-S51. 10.3346/jkms.2014.29.S.S47.

Workers' Compensation for Occupational Respiratory Diseases

• Park SY
• Kim HR
• Song J

• KMID: 1791999
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2014.29.S.S47

Abstract

The respiratory system is one of the most important body systems particularly from the viewpoint of occupational medicine because it is the major route of occupational exposure. In 2013, there were significant changes in the specific criteria for the recognition of occupational diseases, which were established by the Enforcement Decree of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act (IACIA). In this article, the authors deal with the former criteria, implications of the revision, and changes in the specific criteria in Korea by focusing on the 2013 amendment to the IACIA. Before the 2013 amendment to the IACIA, occupational respiratory disease was not a category because the previous criteria were based on specific hazardous agents and their health effects. Workers as well as clinicians were not familiar with the agent-based criteria. To improve these criteria, a system-based structure was added. Through these changes, in the current criteria, 33 types of agents and 11 types of respiratory diseases are listed under diseases of the respiratory system. In the current criteria, there are no concrete guidelines for evaluating work-relatedness, such as estimating the exposure level, latent period, and detailed examination methods. The results of further studies can support the formulation of detailed criteria.

Keyword

Respiratory Tract Diseases; Occupational Diseases; Workers' Compensation; Korea

MeSH Terms

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic/economics/pathology
Asbestosis/economics/pathology
Asthma/economics/pathology
Humans
Lung Diseases/*economics
Occupational Diseases/*economics
Occupational Exposure
Pneumoconiosis/economics/pathology
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/economics/pathology
Republic of Korea
Workers' Compensation/*economics

Reference

1. Enforcement Decree of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act of the Republic of Korea, Presidential Decree No. 24651 (28 June 2013), Article 122, Seoul, 2013. accessed on 27 December 2013. Available at: http://www.lawnb.com/lawinfo/contents_view.asp?cid=489D63F8A22E484285C5D1472BA9CD89|0|K.

2. Balmes JR. Occupational respiratory diseases. Prim Care. 2000; 27:1009–1038.

3. Lee HE, Kim HR. Occupational respiratory cancer in Korea. J Korean Med Sci. 2010; 25:S94–S98.

4. Song J, Kim I, Choi BS. The scope and specific criteria for compensation for occupational diseases in Korea. J Korean Med Sci. 2014; 29:S32–S39.

5. Blanc PD. Occupational COPD: a brief review. J Asthma. 2012; 49:2–4.

6. Marine WM, Gurr D, Jacobsen M. Clinically important respiratory effects of dust exposure and smoking in British coal miners. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1988; 137:106–112.

7. IIAC (Industrial Injuries Advisory Council). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema. accessed on 14 November 2013. Available at http://iiac.independent.gov.uk/pdf/reports/Cm7253.pdf.

8. Hnizdo E, Vallyathan V. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to occupational exposure to silica dust: a review of epidemiological and pathological evidence. Occup Environ Med. 2003; 60:237–243.

9. Davison AG, Fayers PM, Taylor AJ, Venables KM, Darbyshire J, Pickering CA, Chettle DR, Franklin D, Guthrie CJ, Scott MC, et al. Cadmium fume inhalation and emphysema. Lancet. 1988; 1:663–667.

10. Seidman H, Selikoff IJ, Hammond EC. Short-term asbestos work exposure and long-term observation. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1979; 330:61–89.

11. Levin SM, Kann PE, Lax MB. Medical examination for asbestos related disease. Am J Ind Med. 2000; 37:6–22.

12. Walusiak J, Wiszniewska M, Krawczyk-Adamus P, Pałczyński C. Occupational allergy to wheat flour. Nasal response to specific inhalative challenge in asthma and rhinitis vs. isolated rhinitis: a comparative study. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2004; 17:433–440.

13. Kriebel D, Sama SR, Woskie S, Christiani DC, Eisen EA, Hammond SK, Milton DK, Smith M, Virji MA. A field investigation of the acute respiratory effects of metal working fluids. I. Effects of aerosol exposures. Am J Ind Med. 1997; 31:756–766.

14. Tatham AS, Shewry PR. Allergens to wheat and related cereals. Clin Exp Allergy. 2008; 38:1712–1726.

15. Johnson VJ, Yucesoy B, Reynolds JS, Fluharty K, Wang W, Richardson D, Luster MI. Inhalation of toluene diisocyanate vapor induces allergic rhinitis in mice. J Immunol. 2007; 179:1864–1871.

16. International Labour Organization. List of occupational diseases (revised 2010). Identification and recognition of occupational diseases: Criteria for incorporating diseases in the ILO list of occupational diseases. accessed on 4February 2014. Available at http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---safework/documents/publication/wcms_125137.pdf.

17. European Commission. Information notices on occupational diseases: a guide to diagnosis. accessed on 4 February 2014. Available at https://osha.europa.eu/data/links/information-notices-on-occupational-diseases-a-guide-to-diagnosis.

18. Jang TW, Kim HR, Choi SE, Yim HW, Lee HE, Myong JP, Koo JW. Smoking rate trends in Korean occupational groups: analysis of KNHANES 1998-2009 data. J Occup Health. 2012; 54:452–458.