The plans, to help those who have been inflicted with serious industrial diseases and have missed out on payments, were laid out by the Department for Work and Pensions. It has also proposed a bureau to provide funds if all other means fail.
The dedicated database is aimed at forming a better tracing service, said DWP minister Lord McKenzie.
The effects of some industrial diseases only appear decades later when employers may have ceased trading or have not kept old insurance records or lost liability insurance policies. In the past, this has meant people have been unable to trace the policies and claim compensation.
The plans have been welcomed by unions. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "The creation of an Employers Liability Insurance Bureau will be of real benefit for those who develop a disease as a result of exposure to asbestos.
Alan Ritchie, general secretary of the construction workers' union Ucatt said: "The Government's announcement is excellent news and an important step forward. Far too often workers develop life-threatening illnesses because employers have failed to provide adequate protection from harmful substances. If a worker's health is ruined, they deserve compensation."
Copyright © Press Association 2010
Tim Beasley, Personal Injury Partner at Levenes Birmingham Office writes:-
This is an important development which has long been campaigned for. If you are hit by an untraced driver or a driver without insurance you can still get compensation. With just the registration number of a vehicle you can tell if the vehicle was insured. Uninsured claims can be covered by the Motor Insurance Bureau but with work accident's it is different. We still see small numbers of cases of employers who flout the law without taking out insurance. Sometimes it can be difficult tracking down the existence of a valid insurance policy. This database will help but we would also like to see an Employers Liability Insurance Bureau to cover the small number of cases where an employer cannot be traced.
