(image: Samsung Electronics)
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — Under a new government policy, factory workers that help produce semiconductors or TV display screens applying for industrial accident insurance compensation for cancer or other illnesses brought on by their jobs will either no longer be required to submit an epidemiological investigation required as proof, or be permitted to submit a simplified investigation.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor revealed yesterday that for eight types of severe diseases already identified in previous court rulings as being correlated with jobs pertaining to semiconductors and display screens, it will appease the patient’s burden of having to prove the link between illness and work in the process of filing for insurance claims.
The eight types of occupational illnesses include leukemia, multiple sclerosis, aplastic anemia, ovarian cancer, malignant lymphoma, breast cancer, and lung cancer.
In the past, employees working in semiconductor and display production had to produce epidemiological surveys to identify work procedures, duration of work, chemicals used for work, and their level of exposure to chemicals.
This process is to be omitted in the future.
Although an epidemiological investigation can provide important grounds for proving a link between occupational tasks and illness, the process typically delays claims payments by more than six months, which experts have pointed out has become a big burden to patients suffering from serious diseases.
The ministry says that in addition to the eight illnesses identified, other diseases will be added to the list of occupational illnesses if relevant court rulings and other proof can be provided.
A government official overlooking the policy on industrial accident insurance compensation at the ministry said that the new measure will help lessen the burden of laborers.
H. S. Seo (hsseo@koreabizwire.com)
