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Occupational disease

An occupational disease is a disease caused by work, either by the work environment or the tasks related to it.

Criteria for an occupational disease

As in the case of a work accident, an occupational disease can be contracted out of or in the course of work. It is the CNESST that determines, based on various criteria, whether or not it is an occupational disease.

Disease contracted out of work

When contracted out of work, the disease developed while the worker was performing the tasks for which they are employed (for example, a factory worker who becomes deaf after working in a noisy factory environment for many years).

Disease contracted in the course of work

The occupational disease developed when the worker was performing tasks other than those they normally do. These tasks may be directly or indirectly related to their work.

The worker’s disease will be recognized as an employment injury if, as the case may be:

  • it is listed in the Regulation respecting occupational diseases and the worker meets the specific conditions related to the disease
    or
  • the worker shows that their disease is characteristic of the work they are doing or have done in the past, or that it is directly related to the specific risks associated with the work