At its peak, the British coal industry employed over one million people and was a vital part of the UK`s economy. However, with the decline in demand for coal, the industry experienced significant challenges, leading to the closure of many of the country`s mines and the loss of thousands of jobs. As a result, the UK government established the British Coal Claims Handling Agreement (BCCHA) to compensate former miners who had suffered from respiratory diseases and other health issues related to their work in the coal industry.
The BCCHA was established in 1999 and was designed to provide compensation to miners who had suffered from respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and bronchitis as a result of their work in the coal industry. The scheme also covered other conditions such as vibration white finger and hand-arm vibration syndrome.
To be eligible for compensation under the BCCHA, a miner had to be diagnosed with a qualifying respiratory disease or condition and had to have worked in the coal industry for a specified period. The scheme also provided compensation for widows and dependents of miners who had died as a result of a qualifying respiratory disease or condition.
The BCCHA was administered by a company called the British Coal Corporation Claims Office, and claims were assessed by independent medical experts. Compensation payments were made based on a fixed tariff, with the amount of compensation varying depending on the severity of the condition and the length of the miner`s service in the coal industry.
The BCCHA was a significant step forward in providing compensation to former miners who had suffered from health issues related to their work in the coal industry. However, it was not without its challenges. Some critics argued that the compensation levels were too low and that the scheme did not adequately account for the long-term impact of respiratory diseases and other conditions on miners` quality of life.
In 2014, the UK government established a new scheme called the Coal Health Claims Scheme (CHCS) to provide additional compensation to miners who had suffered from respiratory diseases and other conditions as a result of their work in the coal industry. The CHCS was established following a court decision that found that the BCCHA had not adequately compensated former miners for their health issues.
Overall, the BCCHA was a significant step forward in providing compensation to former miners who had suffered from respiratory diseases and other health issues related to their work in the coal industry. However, it was not without its challenges and has since been replaced with a new scheme to provide additional compensation.