The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has released a preview copy of its updated Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer-Asbestos Exposure Policy (OPM Document No. 16-02-11). The updated policy takes effect on October 1, 2024 and will apply to all decisions made on or after October 1, 2024.
The policy will also have retroactive application to previously decided decisions in the following circumstances:
- Initial entitlement was previously denied in the claim,
- The date of the decision falls on or after April 19, 2021 and before October 1, 2024, and
- The denial decision was made by either a front-line decision-maker of the WSIB or an Appeals Resolution Officer (ARO), provided a notice of appeal of the final decision has not been filed with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT).
Summary Note
The updated policy sets out three criteria for entitlement for GI cancers related to workplace asbestos exposure. The updated policy also provides general pre-1987 asbestos exposure data for a number of occupations. This exposure data may help streamline GI cancer entitlement – particularly for workers who had five or more years of pre-1987 work in one of the listed occupations.
Please log in to read the full article.