Which of the following is NOT a requirement for establishing an occupational disease claim?

Establishing an occupational disease claim typically involves demonstrating a strong relationship between the disease and the employee's work environment or job duties. The requirement of a direct causal connection is essential, as there must be evidence that the disease is a direct result of the work performed. This means that the nature of the job must be directly linked to the disease's occurrence or aggravation.

Furthermore, a natural incident following an injury implies that there was an initial injury that developed further into a recognized occupational disease, often requiring additional medical or expert testimony to establish the progression. Lastly, there must also be a direct connection with employment, which means the disease must be linked to the conditions or nature of the worker's job.

On the other hand, having exposure to hazards outside of work is not a requirement for establishing an occupational disease claim. In fact, for a claim to be valid, the exposure that caused the disease must be related to the work environment or circumstances specific to the job. Therefore, identifying that exposure to hazards outside of work does not contribute to fulfilling the necessary criteria for establishing claim validity is fundamental to understanding occupational disease claims in a workers' compensation context.