The President has signed the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Amendment Act into law.
The amendment will take effect on a date as yet to be fixed by proclamation in a gazette.
Varied commencement dates may be assigned to different provisions.
Changes to the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, as a result of the amendment, include but are not limited to –
- Changes to a number of definitions
- The inclusion of domestic employees as a result of the change to the definition of “employee”
- Amendments providing for the method by which claims may be considered, processed, approved and settled.
- Alignment with the requirements of other legislation and the removal of various ambiguities
- A number of amendments relating to the Board – appointments; representation; terms of office; remuneration; vacancies; additional members; adoption of a charter; secretariat etc
- Amendments requiring the Commissioner to perform additional functions together with certain functions that were previously performed by the Director-General
- Clarity concerning claims made as a result of injuries during the conveyance of employees to and from work
- Notification and reporting of employee accidents and the severe penalties for non-compliance
- Amendments to provisions dealing with the cost of medical reports and employees submitting to medical examinations
- Provisions dealing with the rehabilitation, reintegration, and return to work of occupationally injured employees
- Additional provisions dealing with inspectors covering inspections, compliance, and enforcement
- A transitional arrangement providing for the reporting of past domestic employee accidents
- Considerable increases in penalties and fines for non-compliance of various requirements
