Government to pay asbestos victims

Government to pay asbestos victims

CSR Asia

21-22 September 2005

The Japanese government plans to make families of asbestos victims eligible for the same level of benefits as those available under workers' accident compensation insurance, reports the Asahi Shimbun (September 12). The families would be able to receive payouts even if they failed to apply for workers' accident insurance within the legal limit of five years following the victims' deaths, sources said.

The government decided in August to draft legislation to extend relief to such families as well as to others who have suffered from asbestos-related health problems. This would include people living near factories containing or using asbestos and factory workers' family members.

For the latter category of victims, the government plans to pay lump sums and to cover all expenses for related medical treatment. There is currently no system for such people to submit claims. In addition to workers' family members and residents in affected areas, a second group includes independent construction workers and business owners, who are not covered by workers' compensation.

The bill is expected to be submitted to an ordinary Diet (parliament) session next year. To finance relief measures, the government plans to seek contributions from asbestos-related businesses. The goal is to clarify the responsibility of companies that caused the contamination.

The government must also decide how to assign financial burdens to the private sector because responsibility extends to many sectors from producers to users. Burdens will be allocated by sector and individual companies based on the size of businesses and the level of responsibility.

However, many affected companies have gone out of business after restrictions on asbestos became stricter. As a result, existing companies would feel it unfair if they bear all the burden. Asbestos has been a hot topic over the past couple of months following revelations of hundreds of asbestos-related deaths among workers – and in some cases, their family members – who used to work with asbestos, used widely in the 70s and 80s.

Experts are warning that although the use of asbestos is being gradually phased out, construction workers may still inhale the substance when they repair or demolish old buildings, meaning asbestos-linked health problems will continue to be a hazard in Japan for many years to come.