Chronic painters' disease. a follow-up study of 26 house painters occupational and economical situations
Damgaard, M.; Arlien-Søborg, P.; Bruhn, P.; Christensen, E.L.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 143(46): 3075-3080
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 7331006 Document Number: 170128
Follow-up investigation of 26 house painters with toxic encephalopathy revealed that 16 painters had been awarded disability pensions, 8 were still occupationally active and 2 were receiving retraining or education. Two patients applied for disability pensions after unsuccessful attempts at rehabilitation. The occupationally active persons had found occupations which involved lower incomes. Compensation of 10-75% had been awarded to 18 persons. Four cases were not yet completed and 4 had not been recognized as it was assumed that the damage was sustained during independent painting activity. The time taken for decisions in occupational damage averaged 19 1/2 mo. Evidently, the help offered during rehabilitation was insufficient. The uneven levels of recognition for disability persons and absence of possibilities of utilization of remaining occupational abilities indicated the need for a pension reform. The compensations for occupational injuries, when compared with the severity of the damage, revealed an uneven picture of the practice of determination of the degrees of incapacity and the extent of compensation. For occupationally active persons and for those forced to abandon work, deterioration in the economical circumstances occurred.