Submission urges that the WSIB respect Meredith’s concept that occupational disease should be put on “the same footing” as workplace accidents, and that the WSIB Policy framework should adopt the same evidentiary standard of “Significant contributing factor” in order to bring some reparation and justice to victims of occupational disease in Ontario… This means that if a worker’s employment or activities related to their employment are shown to be a significant contributing factor in their injury or disease, then the worker will get WSIB benefits. This doesn’t mean that a workplace accident or injury has to be the only cause of a worker’s condition or disease…..
Our organization has been supportive of the newly formed Occupational Disease Reform Alliance (ODRA) since its inception. We fully endorse their submission to this consultation. The ODRA includes victims and survivors of occupational disease as well as deeply knowledgeable experts in the compensation of occupational disease. The group believes that key to addressing the issue of occupational disease in Ontario is to have legislation to meet its four demands: 1) compensate occupational disease claims when workplace patterns exceed levels in the surrounding community; 2) expand the list of compensable diseases presumed to be work-related; 3) use the proper legal standard, not scientific certainty; 4) accept that multiple exposures combine to cause disease…
