Occupational Cancer
Every day, thousands of Australians go to work, and many are unaware of their exposure, and risk to occupational disease through carcinogenic chemicals, fumes, dusts, and other cancer-inducing triggers.
What are Occupational Cancers?
Occupational cancer is a type of cancer occurring from or aggravated by exposure to carcinogenic agents within the workplace. Cancer resulting from working environments and conditions are one of the most prevalent health problems among workplaces in Australia – yet are extremely understudied due to a long lag time from the point to exposure and cancer, alongside very few being reported to compensation authorities.
There are several industries and places of work that are exposed constantly to hazardous chemicals, gases and dusts that are linked to cancers. Approximately 5000 people are diagnosed each year with work-related cancer, with some of the frequent cancers from occupational exposure being:
- Lung cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Bladder cancer
- Leukaemia
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What are some frequent triggers of occupational cancer:
At Zaparas Lawyers, we deal with various forms of occupational disease, and we have seen some of the most common carcinogenic substances workers are exposed to are:
After years of continued experience with various occupational threats, we have found common causes of such carcinogenic hazards that may not be obvious to many workers to be:
- Fumes from constant handling with welders
- Over-exposure to plastic and rubber manufacturing
- Pesticides
- Paint fumes
Given such a wide range of potential carcinogens, there are a number of industries in which workers can be affected. Whether you’re placed at risk depends on how long you have been exposed to these risks, as well as the type of work you do.
For example, those who work in mining, construction, transport, farming, and other trade sectors are inclined to be at more of a risk of exposure in the workplace given the products they work with, and the type of work they undergo.
Am I eligible to make a compensation claim for occupational cancer?
If you believe you have been exposed to dust or another hazardous toxin, and this has caused or substantially exacerbated your cancer diagnosis, you may be eligible to claim compensation. In most cases, eligibility depends largely on the strength of the correlation between your job and cancer type. Despite being a necessary aspect, your cancer doesn’t need to come solely from your workplace, yet it still must be a contributing factor. All claims fall under a ‘no-fault’ principle, meaning the pure fact you have a cancer diagnosis is sufficient on its own to be eligible for compensation – it is not required for you to demonstrate it was anyone’s fault.
In Victoria, there is a list of diseases that are deemed to be automatically related to your work. Such a list is implemented to make the compensation process faster and easier, declaring certain diseases alongside specific jobs to have automatic eligibility to claim compensation. For example, if a firefighter is diagnosed with leukaemia, they may automatically be eligible to claim compensation as in that line of work there is a higher risk of developing it.
Here at Zaparas Lawyers, we’ve seen firsthand the difficulties of a cancer diagnosis on not just your life; but also, to those closest to you. That is why we are focused on ensuring your process of making a claim is as smooth and stress-free as possible, as seen with our no-win, no-fee policy.
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