Khattar govt notifies rehab policy for workers affected by silicosis

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government has notified the “Haryana Silicosis Rehabilitation Policy” for treatment, compensation and rehabilitation of workers affected by the dreadful occupational lung disease.

Minister of state for labour and employment Nayab Singh Saini said that any worker confirmed as suffering from silicosis by the Haryana Silicosis Diagnosis Board, would be covered under this policy, which is applicable only for those working in factories and at construction sites.

In Haryana, silicosis is a notifiable disease under The Factories Act, 1948 and The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996.

The minister said that silicosis being a form of occupational lung disease and caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust was marked by inflammation and scarring in the form of nodular lesions in the lobes of lungs and categorised as a type of pneumoconiosis.

The symptoms of silicosis are associated with T.B., the patient suffers from shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of appetite, chest pain, whooping cough, respiratory failure and eventually leads to death.

Those working at stone crushers, coal fired thermal power plants, construction sites and mines are at higher risk.

He said that workers registered under the Employee State Insurance Act, 1948, would be given compensation as per the provisions of the ESI Act, 1948 and the other workers who are not registered under the Act, would be given compensation as per the provisions of the Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923.