Abroad|18/06/20

BELGIUM: recognition of Covid-19 in occupational disease extended

Home > The news of EUROGIP and occupational risks in Europe > BELGIUM: recognition of Covid-19 in occupational disease extended

The recognition of Covid 19 as an occupational disease now extends to workers in critical sectors or essential services during containment.

This specifically concerns those who could not telework or respect the social distance of 1.5 metres due to the nature of their function. In addition to employees in food stores, for example, this extension would apply to many federal civil servants: police officers, prison officers, civil defence or customs officers.

The government has issued an order of special powers. It provides for the addition of a new code 1.404.04 to the list of occupational diseases. Thus, any person suffering from Covid 19, “diagnosed by a laboratory test, and clearly having a higher risk of being contaminated by the virus, may claim compensation for occupational disease”.

Similar measures are already in place for volunteer firefighters and ambulance drivers in rescue areas, employees in the voluntary sector and students. “In this way, we are providing better social protection for all those who are on the front line in the fight against the coronavirus. In the future, I would also like to provide a system for the self-employed. This is part of the single status that I want to achieve”, explains Maggie de Block, Minister for Social Affairs.

Minister’s press release

Discover other news

Community news

28/04/25

It’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work!

EUROGIP, an observer of European and international OHS practices, highlights four key resources linked to the theme of this 2025 edition: the impacts of artificial intelligence and digitization on OHS.

Community news

25/04/25

Napo VS technostress

Overwhelmed by new technologies, anxious to be constantly connected and exhausted by the amount of information he receives, in this new animated film Napo faces a new occupational risk: technostress!

Abroad

24/04/25

UNITED KINGDOM: employers urged to combat stress at work

Since 1992, April has been officially Stress Awareness Month in the UK. To mark the occasion, the UK's national occupational health and safety regulator (HSE) has launched a campaign entitled "Working Minds", aimed at promoting good mental health in the workplace.