About us
The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) is an independent scientific advisory body that looks at industrial injuries benefit and how it is administered.
We give independent advice to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.
IIAC does not deal with industrial injuries benefit claims.
Go to Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
Our responsibilities
To help us to do our work, we consider published independent medical and scientific research, and information from relevant bodies. Our responsibilities are to:
- make recommendations to update the list of diseases and the occupations that cause them for which Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit can be paid
- draft papers for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to present in Parliament, where legislative changes to the Industrial Injuries Scheme are proposed
- scrutinise proposed regulations relating to industrial injuries benefit or its administration
See also:
Our priorities
From 2020 to 2021, our priorities are to:
-
ensure the advice we give about the Industrial Injuries Scheme is impartial, evidence-based, effective, credible and timely
-
continue the council’s work programme
Our work programme will include:
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cancer in firefighters
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coronavirus (COVID-19) and its potential occupational impact
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neurodegenerative brain disease in ex-footballers
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silica and respiratory diseases
IIAC ongoing rolling programme of work
Current investigations
| Topic | Source | Timescale | Status | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firefighters | Department for Work and Pensions and Environmental Audit Committee | Current | Ongoing - response being formulated | |
| COVID-19 | Members | Current | Ongoing | |
| Neurodegenerative Brain Disease in ex-footballers | Correspondence | Current | Ongoing - initial discussions | |
| Evidence update of the relationship between occupational exposures and selected malignant and non-malignant respiratory disease | Council commissioned review | Current | On-hold due to coronavirus crisis | |
| Silica and respiratory diseases | IIAC Members | Current | Ongoing - planning to update prescription PD D1 | |
| PTSD accident claims | Department for Work and Pensions | Initial discussion | Early stage |
Completed investigations
| Topic | Source | Status | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melanoma in pilots and cabin crew | Correspondence | Completed | Command paper CP216, May 2020 |
| Coke oven workers and COPD | Completed | Position paper 45, April 2020 | |
| Osteoarthritis of the knee in professional footballers | Correspondence | Completed | Position paper 44, April 2020 |
| ANCA vasculitis & silica/asbestos exposure | Correspondence | Completed | Position paper 46, April 2020 |
| Dupuyren’s contracture - revision of prescription | Department for Work and Pensions | Completed | Information note December 2019, revised April 2020 |
| Vibrotactile testing for HAVS | Department for Work and Pensions | Completed | Recommendations to DWP |
Future topics for investigations
| Topic | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Night shift work | IARC monograph | Monograph shared with members |
| Welders | IARC monograph | Not started |
| Cleaners and non-malignant respiratory disease | Member led and raised at public meeting 2019 | Not started |
| Dry cleaners | Not started | |
| Glyphosate use | Member led and raised at public meeting 2019 | Initial discussion |
| Styrene exposure | Not started | |
| Crumb rubber – used in sports pitches | Member led and raised at public meeting 2019 | Not started |
| Fibreglass and bronchiolitis | Not started | |
| Chronic kidney disease in miners linked to COPD | Raised at public meeting 2019 | Not started |
| Osteoarthritis in wider occupations and sports | Raised at public meeting 2019 | Not started |
Review of coronavirus (COVID-19) in occupation
Following concerns raised by members of the Council, IIAC began its investigation in late spring 2020 to determine if there is a link between occupation and coronavirus (COVID-19). Initially focusing on data from the Office for National Statistics and the emerging published scientific literature in this field, the Council also engaged other interested bodies to help inform its investigation.
Having now considered the available data and emerging evidence, the Council’s initial paper will focus on the first wave of infection and specifically on deaths related to occupation. IIAC has also agreed that follow-up papers would reflect changes observed from subsequent waves of infection. Emerging data from a longer period of follow-up will allow a greater understanding of the effect that post-COVID-19 syndrome may have on loss of faculty.
IIAC has now completed its initial investigations and expects publication of its position paper imminently.
Included in the paper are the Council’s plans to progress its investigations by continuing to monitor the literature for future published papers and reports.
The Council is aware of several ongoing studies, however it is particularly interested in large good quality studies of workers and workplaces and also community-based studies regarding both death and long term effects of infection with SARS-CoV-2.
All enquiries regarding the Council’s paper and ongoing work should be directed to iiac@dwp.gov.uk.
Who we are
The council usually has 17 members, including the chair. It includes:
- independent members with relevant specialist skills
- representatives of employees
- representatives of employers
Independent members currently include doctors, scientists and a legal member.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions decides how many members to appoint to the council. It must include equal numbers of representatives of employees and employers (Social Security Administration Act 1992, Schedule 6).
The council doesn’t have any staff of its own but DWP provides a small administrative team. The council holds an annual public meeting in a different place in the UK each year. Other council meetings are usually held in DWP offices.
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