List of Occupational Diseases

On August 11, 2025, the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security ("MOLESS") published a notice in the Nepal Gazette setting out the list of occupational diseases ("Notice"), pursuant to Rule 52(1) of the Labor Regulation 2075 (2017 A.D.) ("Labor Regulation").

Section 82 of Labor Act 2074 (2017 A.D.) ("Labor Act") stipulates that if a worker contracts a prescribed occupational disease in the course of employment, the employer is obligated to bear the prescribed treatment expenses and, in the case of an incurable disease, to pay the prescribed compensation.

Moreover, Rule 52 of Labor Regulation authorizes the Government of Nepal ("GON") to publish the official list of occupational diseases and sets out the process for resolving disputes regarding whether a worker’s illness falls under that list. In the event of such a dispute, the worker may submit an application for verification to the Labor Office. The GON will then constitute a committee of expert physicians to assess the case in accordance with International Labour Organization ("ILO") standards. If the illness is confirmed as an occupational disease, the employer must provide treatment costs, compensation, and other related benefits as prescribed by MOLESS.

Until now, Nepal did not have an exhaustive and officially prescribed list of occupational diseases. The Notice follows the structure of the ILO’s List of Occupational Diseases Recommendation, 2002 (No. 194) and classifies occupational diseases under the following main categories:

1. Occupational diseases caused by exposure to agents arising from work activities
   1. Disease caused by chemical agents
   2. Disease caused by Physical Agents
   3. Infectious or Parasitic Diseases caused by Biological Agents
       
2. Occupational diseases by target organ systems
   1. Respiratory Diseases
   2. Skin Diseases
   3. Musculoskeletal Disorders
   4. Mental and Behavioral Disorders
       
3. Occupational Cancer

The Notice sets out a list of 48 occupational diseases, and their corresponding causative agent, and the types of employment in which it is likely to occur. The Notice has been published in a bilingual format (Nepali and English) and can be accessed here.