27 June 2019
Jan Magee
[FYI request #10453 email] Tēnā koe Jan
Your Official Information Act request, reference: GOV-000147
Thank you for your request of 04 June 2019, asking for the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
…the number of cover applications for WRGPI by chemical poisoning suffered by people
employed as painters along with those diagnoses of white matter degeneration caused by same.
We would like this for the period between 2010 and the current date please
Diagnosis of white matter degeneration
None of the 27 injury claims identified as being relevant to your request have an injury diagnosis of
‘white matter degeneration’ or similar. We can confirm that the two most common injury diagnosis for
these claims was ‘accidental poisoning by lead paints’ (15 claims) and ‘other solvents causing toxic
effect’ (four claims).
The following notes should be considered when interpreting the data provided
The data has been extracted for claims where the following applies:
• The claim was lodged between 1 January 2010 and 31 May 2019.
• The claim is for a work-related injury.
• The claim is identified as a poisoning/toxicity related injury, and has the gradual process claim
indicator in ACC’s claims management system, EOS.
• The client’s occupation is recorded as ‘painters and paperhangers’ or the employer the claim is
associated to has business activity ‘painters and paperhangers’.
ACC takes privacy seriously
ACC does not routinely disclose low value numbers. Accordingly, some entries in the tables provided
only indicate that the number is fewer than four (denoted as <4). This limits the potential for individuals,
or matters specific to certain individuals, from being identified. Withholding in this way is necessary to
protect the privacy of these individuals under section 9(2)(a) of the Act. In doing so, we have considered
the public interest in making the information available and have determined that it does not outweigh
the need to protect the privacy of these persons.
Tables 1 and 2
Table 1 provides a count of work-related gradual process injuries lodged by painters since January 2010,
by year of lodgment. Table 2 provides a breakdown of the claim decisions, by accepted and declined.
We have not provided the claim decision by year, as a significant number of values are fewer than four
and would need to be suppressed.
The data has been provided by calendar year the claims were lodged. The data was extracted on
12 June 2019 and may differ if re-run at a later date.
ACC is happy to answer your questions
If you have any questions, you can email me at
[email address].
If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman.
Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800
802 602.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Emma Coats
Manager Official Information Act Services
Government Engagement & Support
Table 1. Number of claims for work-related gradual process injuries lodged by painters since 1 January
2010, by lodgement year.
Year
Claims count
2010
4
2011
<4
2012
<4
2013
<4
2014
<4
2015
0
2016
4
2017
<4
2018
7
2019*
<4
Total
27
*as at 31 May 2019
Table 2.1 Count of claim decisions for work-related gradual process injuries lodged by painters since
1 January 2010, by lodgement year.
Cover decision
Claims count
Accepted
4
Declined
23
Total
27
Accident Compensation Corporation
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