Lung cancer with silicosis and scleroderma with silicosis have now both been added to the proclaimed disease list.

Under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (WIRC Act), the Victorian Government may ‘proclaim’ certain diseases in relation to places, processes or occupations. A worker, or a dependant of a worker, with a proclaimed disease are entitled to compensation irrespective of whether work is proven to have contributed to the disease, unless WorkSafe or a self-insurer proves that the disease was not due to employment.

The current list of proclaimed diseases in Victoria already included ‘silicosis with or without pulmonary tuberculosis’, where the worker has been engaged in any manufacturing or other processes involving exposure to the inhalation of silica dust.

More details and the full list of proclaimed diseases are here