Woman Wins Compensation Appeal for Solvent Exposure

27 Jul 2007

8/5/99 Mira Kotarscak, a Canadian woman who was exposed to hazardous solvents on the job, has fought for years to prove that her exposure left her with gnarled hands and breathing problems.

The Canadian Workplace Safety and Insurance Board ruled Wednesday that Kotarscak, 42, was exposed to organic solvents at work which caused her to develop scleroderma, a chronic disease affecting blood vessels and connective tissue.

The Hamilton Spectator reported that the board, which initially turned down Kotarscak's claim in 1995, said health studies indicate "a strong association between solvent exposures and the development of scleroderma."

Kotarscak's case should open doors for hundreds of workers with similar claims, speculates Donna Wright, national health and safety representative for the Canadian Union of Public Employees in Ontario. She told the Hamilton Spectator that the board's acknowledgment of Kotarscak's case "shows they are beginning to realize people have been affected by the chemicals they are working with in the workplace." The union's local called for a province-wide ban of methylethylketone, the solvent used by Kotarscack, in June

Employed at The Susan Shoe Industry Ltd. from 1978 to 1983, Kotarscak used methylethylketone to clean the paint off the soles of newly manufactured rubber boots. She was also exposed to another solvent, perchlorethylene. Kotarscak is the second person in Ontario to win a claim after developing the disease.

Kotarscak said her disease, which she discovered in 1979 when her hands began to swell, has made it difficult to perform simple tasks such as eating, walking, and turning the page of a book. "It's not better and it's not getting any better," Kotarscak said.