Covid must be classed as an occupational disease to protect workers, says TUC

Ministers must class Covid as an occupational disease to strengthen protections for workers, says the TUC in a new report published today (Monday).

The call from the union body follows moves in many other countries to officially recognise Covid as an occupational illness, with important consequences for workplace safety and the support working people are eligible for if they suffer long-term damage to their health.

Occupational diseases

The Social Security Contributions & Benefits Act 1992 allows ministers to prescribe a disease as ‘occupational’ if with ‘reasonable certainty’ it can be acquired in the course of their work.

Government decisions are guided by advice from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC), an independent body that considers scientific research and evidence, and that makes recommendations.

When a disease is prescribed as ‘occupational’, employers must report cases to the Health and Safety Executive and to local authorities. This provides health and safety authorities with vital information about the disease, so that they can work with employers and unions to improve workplace protection and prevention.

Prescribing a disease can also benefit workers by giving them access to the Industrial Injuries Scheme, which is a gateway to benefits and compensation that help people live with injury, ill health, disablement, and care requirements.

Contracting Covid at work

The TUC says the existing evidence shows that Covid meets the qualifying rules for an ‘occupational illness’.

In March 2021, the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council published an evidence review stating that people in some occupations face double the risk of catching Covid. This is the case especially for workers in social care, nursing, bus and taxi driving, food processing, retail work, and security.

This is backed up by data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which shows that workers in several jobs are at higher risk of catching Covid.

An ONS paper based on a survey of infections also noted that there are differences in infection risk between those able to work from home, and those able to social distance in the workplace.

Separate work by the TUC has found that homeworking is less accessible to people in lower paid work, which suggests that there may also be a class divide with people in working class jobs at higher risk of Covid infections through work than those in higher paid work.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“Some jobs have much higher Covid risk than others. This includes many low-paid key workers, such as retail, food, health care and social care. And Covid can be devastating for those who become seriously ill and do not fully recover.

“If you become sick due to your work, with life changing consequences, you should get proper support. But ministers have still not added Covid to the list of occupational diseases. Two years into this pandemic, that is shocking negligence. And it leaves workers unfairly exposed.

“Covid must be added as soon as possible. If it’s added, the reporting rules will help make workplaces safer. And people who catch Covid at work with life-changing consequences will qualify for the support they need.”