THIS popular weekly column deals with welfare rights issues of interest to people living in Wirral.

This week's topic is the Industrial Injuries Scheme which covers accidents at work and industrial prescribed diseases, how to claim and what you can expect when you do. This topic will run for the next few weeks and will cover the little-known industrial diseases as well as the better known ones. Some parts of this article will be repeated each week for clarification and assistance. This week's complaints are the well-known industrial diseases known as beat hand, beat knee and beat elbow.

IS EVERYBODY COVERED?

If you are an employee and suffer from an accident at work after 4/7/48 or you suffer from an industrial disease, although many were not registered until later than this date, you may be covered by the scheme. You must have been working for an employer. However, it does not matter if you were earning enough to pay tax or National Insurance, you are still covered.

ACTION AFTER AN ACCIDENT

As soon as you can after an accident at work, report it to your employer. By law, if there are more than 10 people working for a company, an accident book must be kept. It does not matter how trivial you think the accident is. For instance, a pain in the stomach may become a hernia. If in any doubt register the accident anyway. If you have to have time off as a result of the accident, claim benefit right away.

Prescribed Industrial Diseases A5 Beat Hand, A6 Beat Knee and A7 Beat Elbow

Beat Hand is described as subcutaneous cellulitis of the hand - this is generally swelling under the skin which in some cases can be very painful and tender. The occupation likely or accepted as causing it is described as manual labour causing severe or prolonged external friction or pressure on the hand. Beat Knee is described as bursitis or subcutaneous cellulitis, arising at or about the knee due to severe or prolonged external friction or pressure at or about the knee. The occupations are described as manual labour causing severe or prolonged external friction or pressure at or about the knee. And finally, Beat Elbow is described as bursitis or subcutaneous cellulitis arising at or about the elbow due to severe or prolonged external friction, or pressure at or about the elbow. The occupations for this are described as manual labour causing severe or prolonged external friction or pressure at or about the elbow.

DSS ADVICE

There are at present 67 different registered industrial diseases. The onus is firmly on you to claim for an industrial disease, so if you believe that any condition you have may be work-related then ask the DSS and your doctor for advice. If you ask the DSS, get their response in writing as the rules on backdating have been changed so you will lose money. I suggest you read DSS leaflet NI 2 to get a full list of the occupations. Only if you have the condition and have worked in one of the jobs described will you be able to make a successful claim, but that is only the start and it is clearly a minefield to tread through. It is important to take advice as soon as you possibly can. Make sure that the person you contact is an expert in the type of problem you have. Do not allow people to practise on your case as there may be a lot of money to lose.

JIM STRANG COMMENTS

If you need to know more about this article, then you can write to me c/o S & J Property Management Ltd., 81 Duke Street, Birkenhead. Don't forget to include an SAE for the reply.

If you wish me to act on your behalf, then you can contact me on 652-8600 at the same address between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Readers are advised that Jim Strang represents clients on a 'no win, no fee' basis. Details are available from him.

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