Table 1. Review of systems and compensation for occupational asthma (OA) and work-aggravated asthma in various countries

Country	Administration	Responsible institution	Is OA compensated?	Is work-aggravated asthma compensated?	Examination of cases	Total workforce million^#	List of agents for OA	Open system for OA causing agents?	Is a positive SIC a pre-condition?	Is specific IgE or positive SPT a pre-condition?	Is NSBHR a pre-condition?	OA cases per year n	Degree of disability to be compensated	Worker’s possibility to avoid further exposure	Permanent disability allocated?
Belgium	National agency	Public insurance agency with equal number of representatives from trade unions and employers Insurance premium paid by employers	Yes	No	Board of specialists	4.87	Yes	Yes	No	No (if positive SIC)	No (if positive SIC)	Mean of 77 claims accepted annually by the Workers’ Compensation Board between 1992 and 2002^¶	Yes (based on airway obstruction, NSBHR and medications) plus additional award based on reduced chances on the job market	Yes	Yes
Canada						18.99⁺
Quebec	Agency	Employers public insurance Administrative board with equal number of representatives from trade unions and employers Insurance premium paid by employers	Yes	Variable	Specialists	4.29^§	No	Yes	Yes, if feasible	No	No	40–70	0–100%	Yes	Yes
Ontario	Agency: Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board	Employers	Yes	Yes	Medical information from physicians that may include specialists Claim decision reached by a claims adjudicator with additional physician input if considered needed	7.32^§	No	Yes	No	No	Not an absolute pre-condition but helpful	∼20 per year by 2002		Yes	Yes
Finland	National agency	Employers/insurers	Yes		Specialists	2.64						304 (in 2002)			Yes
France	Regional agencies	Employers	Yes	Variable	Social security practitioners	28.35	Yes	Yes	No	No	No (but pulmonary function tests compulsory)	222 (in 2009)	0–100%	Yes	Yes
Germany	Branch-oriented statutory accident insurance institutions	Employers/insurers	Yes	Yes	Specialists	41.01	No	Yes	No	No	No	700^ƒ (in 2009)	0–100% (depending on the degree of reduced chances on the job market; 2–3 yrs)	Yes	Yes
Italy	National	Employers	Yes	No	Board of specialists	24.29	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	167 (in 2003)	0–100%	Yes	Yes
Norway	National agency and private insurance (compulsory)	Government employers and private insurers	Yes		Specialist	2.52	No	Yes	No	No	No	174 (in 2000)	15–100%	Yes	Yes
Denmark	National agency	Employers and government	Yes	No	Specialists	2.88	Multiple means	Yes	No	No	No	50–70	Depending on the degree of reduced chances on the job market	Yes	Yes
Spain	Government agency	Employers and government agency	Yes	No	Board of specialists	22.96	Yes	No	No	No	Not an absolute pre-condition	258–294 (in 2000–2003)	No	Yes	Yes
The Netherlands	No specific system	Employers and employees	No official acceptance	No official acceptance	Insurance physicians and, in civil cases, chest and occupational physicians	8.62						None	?		No
UK	Government agency	General taxation	Yes	No	Career specialists for assessing occupational diseases	30.79	Multiple	With individual proof and due to sensitisation	No	No	No	170 in 2009	At least 14% required	No requirement	Yes
USA	Varies by state	Varies by state	Varies by state	Varies by state	Varies by state	153	No	Yes	No	No	Varies by state	No national data	Varies by state	Varies by state	Varies by state

SIC: specific inhalation challenge testing; Ig: immunoglobulin; SPT: skin-prick test; NSBHR: nonspecific bronchial responsiveness. ^#: data from [118]; ^¶: data from the Fonds des Maladies Professionnelles–Fonds voor de Beroepsziekten; ⁺: data from [119]; ^§: data from [120]; ^ƒ: also includes objective cases with work-aggravated asthma or occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Modified and extended with data from [121].