Document 37maoVwYan61MaeL0NyJ3r5M0

loduitfiil Hygiene Digest MANAGEMENT ASPECTS December, l^fcZ ' * -V . 1194 Workmen's Compensation Uwi, fundamental Philosophy and Evolution, T. C. Water#. Arch. Bnvira)intnil Health 5, 510-516 (Nov. 1962V It should be borne in mind that the injured employee*# first tod In mt#y cases hi# only contact with the administration of justice arise# from hie dispute# in connection with in. juries that he has sustained arising out of and in the course of employment. While he should receive full and complete sympathy, industry should not be burdened with the expense and cost of compensating any and every human ill that arises. Many of our state laws are out moded, outdated, and deserve drastic revision. For many years there have been various governmental commissions in the state of Maryland which make recommendations annually to the state legislature dealing with proposed amendments to the compensation law. More states should follow this proceduro and have the benefit of the advice of informed medical opinion with respect to many of the matters that may come up for consideration. Certainly none of the present laws are letter perfect. Their administration is not all that could he de sired. From its standpoint industry today is fully health conscious and knows the value of good relationships with its employees in its concsm for their health and welfare. Industrial accidents and industrial diseases can and should he promptly and properly compensated. Perhaps the real answer to these problems is to perfect processes of prevention so that in dustrial disputes arising out of compensation claims msy not be of any concern either to employee or employer, -- Cond. from author's conclusion * ^ 119 1195 Medical Aspects and Implications of Workmen's Compensation. M. N. Newquiat. Arch. Environmental Health 5, 605-609 (Nov. 1962). Workmen's compensation is a slowly evolving socioeconomic program In which medicine is deeply involved. The burden of industrial Injury has been shifted from tabor to industry and Indirectly to the consumer. The cost of compensation has stimulated aceldent and occupational disease prevention programs, all of which are of greet value to both labor and industry. All of the goals of workmen's compensation have not yet been fully achieved, hut in some respects it has far overstepped its original intent. Such deviations from tbs principles of workmen's compensation should be opposed. Imprecise language or lack of definition in the workmen's compensation statutes of some states permits liberal interpre tations by administrative' agencies and by courts and thus makes it possible to. compensate for most any ailment of an employee and to socialise medicine further through the side door of workmen*# compensation. Some employers made statement# to this effect; "If we are going to have socialised medicine let's recognise it as such but have everybody pay for it." U would seem that a partial solution at least to restoring workmen's compensation to its original intent is to obtain more specific language in the statutes which will limit compensa tion to accidental injuries and occupational diseases which actually arise out of and in the course of employment. The medical profession should cooperate more actively with legis lators to obtain compensation laws that are adequate and just and with administrative agen ; cies which have the responsibility of carrying out the intent of the law, to assure the best possible medirel care to the American workman should he be injured on the job. -- Author's conclusion 119 119b lUncss-Abscnce Recording. Accurate or Inaccurate? J. S. Felton. Arch, Environmental Health 5, 495-504 (Nov, 19o2>. Industrial manager# are concerned with the $2,070,000, 000 per year time loss brought about by absence :rom work caused by illness and injury.' Clinical observers have commented on the ioapprbprlatrncss of diagnostic classification systems and have questioned the reliability of reported and recorded diagnoses* Because of the unavailability of accurate