Ordinance on Occupational Diseases 1347/88
Issued in Helsinki, 29 December 1988
1 §
Diagnosis of a disease as an occupational disease requires such medical
examination where there is sufficent knowledge about exposure in the work
and where in the case of occupational diseases designated by the Act on
Occupational Diseases in Paragraph 2 a specialist in the field is in charge.
2 §
A disease shall be deemed as occupational according to 2 § and the
first subsection of 4 § and later in 3 §, when the physical,
chemical or biological factor mentioned in the paragraph is present in
a person's work, and is covered by subsection 1 of 1 § in the Act
on Occupational Diseases, to such an extent that its exposure effect is
sufficient to cause the disease in question, unless it is stated that
the disease has been clearly caused by exposure outside work.
3 §
The following are the diseases and the physical, chemical and biological
factors referred to in Paraqraph 2:
Physical factors
l.Vibration
Typical forms of disease
White finger syndrome; polyneuropathy of the upper limb.
2. Noise
Typical forms of disease
Cochlear type of deterioration of hearing
3. Overpressure
Typical forms of disease
Direct effects of changes of pressure, such as maxillary hemorrhages
and tympanal ruptures; indirect effects of pressure such as nitrous inebriation
and diver's disease; as a long-term effect an aseptic bone necrosis of
big joints.
4. Ionizing radiation
Typical forms of disease
Bone marrow injuries, lens opacities, skin changes
(eczemas, wounds, scars, skin cancer)
5. Infrared radiation
Typical forms of disease
Lens opacities, e.g. glassblower's cataract; skin changes (connective
tissue chanqes, telangiectasies).
6. Ultraviolet radiation
Typical forms of disease
Conjunctivitis and keratitis of the eye; skin changes (light eczema,
light contact eczema).
Chemical factors
1. Arsenic and its compounds
Typical forms of disease
Acute arsenic intoxication (gastro-intestinal, respiratory, and nervous
symptoms); long-term respiratory, mucous membrane symptoms; conjuctival
irritation of the eye; skin changes like chronic eczema, skin pigmentation,
hyperkeratosis, skin cancer; pulmonary cancer; peripheral neuropathies.
2. Beryllium and its compounds
Typical forms of disease
Irritation of mucous membranes; chemical pneumonitis in high exposure;
chronic berylliosis; skin changes (contact eczema, foreign body reaction
e.g. granuloma); pulmonary cancer.
3. Mercury and its compounds
Typical forms of disease
Irritation of mucous membranes and gastro-intestinal tract in acute intoxication,
sometimes chemical pneumonitis. In subchronic or chronic intoxication
the symptoms vary according to individual factors and form of exposure:
symptoms of the mouth (gingivitis), peripheral and central nervous injuries
(e.g. shake, psychic changes, renal injuries (albuminuria) and in connection
with the injuries, elevated mercury levels in urine and blood; skin changes
(contact eczema, eczema or other wide-spread rash).
4. Phosphorus and its compounds
Typical forms of disease
Injuries of bone and liver; respiratory irritation; central nervous symptoms;
caustic injuries of the skin; depression of cholinesterase activity of
the tissues in organic phosphorous compund intoxications
5. Cadmium and its compounds
Typical forms of disease
Acute intoxication with strong respiratory symptoms (chemical pneumonitis);
chronic intotication (renal injuries, emphysema); skin changes (contact
eczema); pulmonary cancer.
6. Cobalt and its compounds
Typical forms of disease
Skin changes (contact eczema); rhinitis and asthma due to cobalt allergy;
hard metal lunq.
7. Chromium and its compounds
Typical forms of disease
Local dermatic or mucosal irritation or corrosion caused by chromium
(chrome wounds); skin changes (contact eczema); rhinitis and asthma due
to chromium compound allergy; pulmonary cancer; sinusal cancer.
8. Lead and its compounds
Typical forms of disease
The first sign of subchronic or chronic inorganic lead intoxication is
disturbed hemoglobin synthesis, later anemia, reticulocytosis, peripheral
nerve injuries, gastrointestinal symptoms, liver and kidney injuries,
and central nervous symptoms. Organic lead intoxication is characterized
by central nervous symptoms. In inorganic lead intoxication symptoms are
associated with elevated blood lead level and elevated erythrocyte protoporphyrin
values, and in organic lead intoxication elevated lead levels in blood
and urine.
9. Manganese and its compounds
Typical forms of disease
Acute chemical pneumonitis; chronic manganese intoxication (manganism),
dominated by nervous symptoms.
10. Nickel and its compounds
Typical forms of disease
Skin changes (contact eczema); rhinitis and asthma due to nickel allergy;
chemical pneumonitis caused by nickel carbonyl; sinusal and pulmonary
cancer.
11. Zinc and its compounds
Typical forms of disease
Zinc fever; skin changes caused by zinc chloride (contact eczema, corrosion).
12. Vanadium and its compounds
Typical forms of disease
Irritation of respiratory tract (chemical pneumonitis, bronchial constriction).
13. Halogens and their inorganic compounds (chlorine, bromine, fluorine).
Typical forms of disease
Irritation and corrosion of mucous membranes and conjunctiva; chemical
pneumonitis; bone changes caused by fluorine compounds (fluorosis); fever
caused by fluorine polymer dispersion products (polymer fever); skin changes
(contact eczema, corrosion caused by fluorides).
14. Cyanide compounds
Typical forms of disease
Acute cyanide intoxication, chronic intoxication (respiratory symptoms,
nervous symptoms); respiratory diseases caused by isocyanates (asthma).
15. Carbon disulfide
Typical forms of disease
Acute intoxication with mainly central nervous symptoms; chronic intoxication
by carbon disulfide with central and peripheral nervous symptoms, possibly
associated with coronary heart disease.
16. Hydrogen sulfide
Typical forms of disease
Acute intoxications with mainly respiratory and central nervous symptoms,
and pulmonary edema.
17. Sulfour dioxide and sulfuric acid
Typical forms of disease
Irritative and inflammatory symptoms of mucous membranes and respiratory
organs; corrosion of teeth and eyes; skin chanqes (contact eczema, corrosion).
18. Nitrogen oxides, nitric acid and ammonia
Typical forms of disease
Acute respiratory irritation symptoms; pulmonary edema; local irritation
or corrosion of mucous membranes; skin changes (contact eczema, corrosion).
19. Carbon monoxide
Typical forms of disease
Acute intoxication caused by carbon monoxide with mainly central nervous
symptoms. The clinical picture is associated with elevation of carbon
monoxide hemoglobinemia.
20. Phosgene
Typical forms of disease
Acute irritative symptoms of respiratory tract and conjunctival tissues;
pulmonary edema.
21. Inorganic bases and their anhydrides
Typical forms of disease
Skin changes (contact eczema, corrosion); acute irritation or corrosion
symptoms of conjunctiva, mucous membranes, respiratory or gastro-intestinal
tract.
22. Aliphatic, aromatic and alicyclic hydrocarbons
Typical forms of disease
Acute and chronic mainly central and peripheral nervous intoxications;
skin changes (contact eczema); leukemias caused by benzene; hemangiosarcoma
of the liver caused by vinyl chloride.
23. Halogene derivates of hydrocarbons
Typical forms of disease
Acute and chronic mainly nervous system intoxications; skin changes (contact
eczema); cardiac arrhythmias and irritative respiratory symptoms caused
bs freons.
24. Nitrous and amino derivates of hydrocarbons
Typical forms of disease
Acute intoxications associated with methemoglobinemia; hemolytic anemia,
liver and eye changes caused by trinitrotoluene; skin changes (contact
eczema); asthma caused by amines; cancer of urinary bladder caused by
aromatic amines.
25. Nitroglycerin and nitroglucol
Typical forms of disease
Central nervous and circulatory symptoms (i.e. hypotension, vasodilatation)
caused either by acute or by chronic intoxication; skin changes (contact
eczema).
26. Aldehydes, ketons, alcohols ethers and esters
Typical forms of disease
Skin changes (contact eczema); asthma and rhinitis caused by formaldehyde;
acute mainly central nervous intoxications caused by alcohols, ketons,
ethers and esters; leukemias caused by ethyleneoxyde.
27. Organic acids and acid anhydrides
Typical forms of disease
Irritation and corrosion of skin and mucous membranes; asthma and rhinitis
caused by acid anhydrides (i.e. phtalic acid, maleinic acid and trimellitinic
acid anhydrides).
28. Phenol and its homologues and their halogen and nitro derivates
Typical forms of disease
Acute intoxications with respiratory, hepatic, renal and central nervous
symptoms; chronic intoxication with central nervous and gastrointestinal
symptoms; skin changes (contact eczema, changes in pigmentation); hemolytic
anemia; methemoglobinemia; hepatic cancer caused by polychlorinated biphenyls.
29. Antibiotics
Typical forms of disease
Skin changes (contact eczema); respiratory allergies.
30. Cancer drugs Alkylating substances (cyclophosphamede, chlorambusil,
semustil, kermustine, lomustine) and antimetabolitis (atsathioprine)
Typical forms of disease
Leukemias, lymphohematopoietic cancers and bladder cancer.
31. Plastics and synthetic resins and the substances and intermediates
involved in their production
Typical forms of disease
Respiratory diseases (asthma, rhinitis); skin changes (contact eczema).
32. Organic dusts and exposures I.e. flours, corn, wood dusts and materials,
animal epithelia, excretions and other exposures of animal origin, dusts
of natural fibers and enzymes, natural resins, india rubber
Typical forms of disease
Skin changes (contact eczema, contact urticaria, protein contact eczema);
allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis or pulmonary asthma caused by organic
dust, Monday fever (byssinosis) caused by raw cotton.
33. Mineral dusts
Typical forms of disease
Pulmonary diseases caused by quartz and asbestos dust (pneumoconioses);
pulmonary cancer and mesothelioma caused by asbestos; consequences of
pneumoconioses in respiratory and circulatory organs.
34. Tiuramines, carbamates, derivates of paraphenylenediamines
Typical forms of disease
Skin changes (contact eczema).
35. Reactive and dispersion dyes
Typical forms of disease
Skin changes (contact eczema); asthma and rhinitis caused by reactive
dyes.
36. Aflatosins
Typical forms of disease
Cancer of liver.
Biological factors
1. Spores released by bacteria and molds and other biologically active
substances
Typical forms of disease
Allergic alveolitis; asthma and rhinitis caused by molds; humidifier
fever.
2. Tuberculosis bacilli
Typical forms of disease
Different forms of tuberculosis.
3. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and schistosomes
Typical forms of disease
Hepatitis B, anthrax, erysipelas, ringworm, brucellosis, listeriosis,
dermatic mycosis, toxoplasmosis, malaria, bilharziosis.
4 §
Tenovaginitis and humeral epicondylitis in subsection two of 4 §
in the Act on Occupational Diseases are compensated as occupational diseases
caused by a physical factor when caused by performing repetitive, monotonous
or strained movements as designated in subsection one of 1 § of the
Act on Occupational Diseases.
5 §
This ordinance will come to effect as of January 1989. The ordinance
(850/48) of 3 December 1948 passed under the Accident Insurance Act and
the Act on Occupational Diseases shall remain in force in so far as it
relates to occupational diseases.
Helsinki, 29 December 1988
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