The UK is at odds with other major countries that have recognized Covid as a disease that people can contract while working, especially in certain sectors, it says. The umbrella body for UK unions is urging the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to use its powers to ‘prescribe’ Covid. If the DWP agrees, Covid will be treated like, for example, a disease associated with workplace exposure, such as asbestos-related cancer, which is a known risk for people who have worked in construction or firefighting. Frances O’Grady, the general secretary of the TUC, accused ministers of “shocking negligence” for not already prescribing Covid, given the significant evidence that people are getting it at work. “If you become ill because of your work, with life-changing consequences, you should receive appropriate support. But ministers have not yet added Covid to the list of occupational diseases,” he said. “Two years into this pandemic that is shocking negligence. And it leaves workers unfairly exposed.” In a report, the TUC says: “At least 20,000 people die prematurely each year from occupational disease as a result of occupational disease. There are more than 70 prescribed “occupational” diseases known to be a risk from certain jobs. These diseases arise as a result of employment that requires close contact with a hazardous substance or circumstance.” Someone whose diagnosis has been linked to their job can apply for financial support. Research by the International Labor Organization has shown that many other nations, including Australia, Canada and China, already recognize Covid as an occupational disease, subject to evidence of infection through a work role. In France it is automatically treated as such for healthcare workers, although the latter must have contracted a severe form of the coronavirus. At least 20 of the 50 US states assume that many first responders and essential workers who get sick from Covid – including paramedics and firefighters – have done so in the course of their work. In Britain, ministers can designate an illness as an occupational disease subject to guidance from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Board, an independent body that assesses the evidence. However, in March last year it published a review which showed that some people were twice as likely to get Covid if they worked in sectors such as nursing, social care, driving buses or taxis, food processing, retail or security work . Employers are required to report cases of any prescribed illness to the Health and Safety Executive and their local council. Workers can then access benefits and compensation through the industrial injury scheme to help them cope with their illness and disability. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The British Medical Association and the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on coronavirus, which is made up of MPs and peers, already supports the designation of Covid as a work-related risk. Layla Moran, the Lib Dem MP who chairs the APPG, urged rapid progress. “Ministers cannot continue to bury their heads in the sand,” he said. A government spokesman highlighted the benefits already available to people whose ability to work is hampered by having Covid or long-term Covid. “For anyone with a disability or long-term health condition, including long-term Covid, there is a strong financial safety net, including statutory sick pay, ESA and universal credit,” they said. “Pip is also available for those who have daily living and/or mobility needs for three months and are expected to have them for at least another nine months. Pip assessments are carried out by trained health professionals, who carefully consider how a person’s disability or long-term health condition affects their daily life.’
