Miners left with a debilitating hand condition can now receive financial support from the Government.
Dupuytren’s contracture, an incurable condition where one or more fingers permanently bend in towards the palm of the hand, has now been added to the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) list of prescribed diseases.
Those who use hand-held vibrating power tools for long periods of time as part of their work are often at increased risk of developing the condition.
As a result, Dupuytren’s contracture often leaves those affected struggling to carry out day-to-day tasks like cooking and cleaning.
The disease was added alongside other industrial-related health problems such as asthma, emphysema and deafness at the advice of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC).
The IIAC determined there is an increased risk of developing Dupuytren’s contracture if a person works in a job (or a combination of jobs within any industry) for a total of at least 10 years, which involves the use of hand-held powered tools with internal parts that vibrate.
In order to qualify for the IIBD, the person must have worked in a job – in any industry – in which hand-held vibrating power tools were used for at least two hours a day on at least three days a week across an entire 10-year period.
Minister for Disabled People Justin Tomlinson said: “Dupuytren’s contracture can be a debilitating condition which can have severe effects on a person’s life.
“This change ensures those people who have worked hard and developed this disease through no fault of their own are rightly supported.”
Anna Schurer, who is chair of the British Dupuytren’s Society and has the condition in her right hand for which she has had two operations, welcomed the news.
Ms Schurer said: “Dupuytren's is a life-altering disease for which there is no cure, and any help for people affected with the condition will make a big difference."
