Compensation hope for sick workers
12/02/2010
Plans for an electronic database of employer's insurance policies could help thousands of people to claim compensation.
The Department of Work and Pensions wants to set up a new database to make it easier for people such as those with an industrial disease to trace policies.
Many have struggled to trace down their employer's liability insurance policies so as to make a claim because many industrial diseases surface long after firms have ceased trading or have lost or failed to keep old insurance records.
The DWP plans also include a bureau being set up to provide funds.
DWP minister Lord McKenzie said: "We want to set up a better tracing service with a dedicated database to help them track down these policies, and a fund of last resort if all else fails."
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "The creation of an Employers Liability Insurance Bureau will be of real benefit for those who develop a disease as a result of exposure to asbestos.
Alan Ritchie, general secretary of the construction workers' union Ucatt said: "The Government's announcement is excellent news and an important step forward.
"Far too often workers develop life-threatening illnesses because employers have failed to provide adequate protection from harmful substances. If a worker's health is ruined, they deserve compensation."
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