Occupational chronic obstructive lung diseases: recognition and compensation

The current French legislation does not allow recognition and compensation for occupational chronic obstructive lung diseases (COLD) under satisfactory conditions. The medical criteria worded in the tables of occupational disease am too restrictive. Moreover a lot of occupational COLD are not inscribed in the tables and, in most of cases, cannot be recognized as occupational disease given that the access conditions to the "complementary system" of recognition are very limited. The authors propose the creation of a specific table for occupational COLD, with designation criteria of the disease and a list of workplaces susceptible to provoke the disease, both made in conformity with current scientific consensus and knowledge in these fields.