The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) says it intends to conduct a review of the more than 300 claims that have been filed since 2002 by people who worked at rubber plants in the Kitchener-Waterloo area which were not previously allowed.
Since 2002, the WSIB says it has received claims from people who worked in the rubber industry for several different companies. Those claims included people with various types of cancer.
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“I am very deeply concerned by recent reports about the very serious health issues facing people who worked in the rubber industry in our community,” WSIB Chair Elizabeth Witmer said in a release.
“I have asked for a review to ensure we are applying the latest science and evidence to make decisions about these claims.”
The WSIB says claims made by both both cancer and non-cancer related claimants will be looked at.
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It will focus the reviews on claims where there is a newer or better understanding of the relationship between chemical exposure and some forms of cancer.
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