Reining v. Georgia-Pacific Corp.

Claimant appeals from an order of the Workers’ Compensation Board which affirmed the referee’s denial of compensability. The issue is whether claimant proved by a preponderance of the evidence that her chronic urticaria (hives) is a compensable occupational disease under ORS 656.802(1)(a). We review de novo, ORS 656.298(6), and reverse and remand.

Claimant is 35 years old. It appears that she was free from any allergy symptoms until 1978 when she worked for a time in a cabinet-building facility and was exposed to cleaning solvent and glue. On that job, she developed “contact dermatitis,” which…