Compensation for occupational injuries and diseases amendment act

Question 1

Compensation Board

Answer 1

A statutory body of the Compensation fund which advises the minister of labour on issues

Question 2

COIDA

Answer 2

-Establishes to protect the health and safety of employees in the workplace

-COIDA provides the guidelines for the compensation of employees who sustain on-the-job injuries and contract diseases

Question 3

Purpose

Answer 3

-COIDA applies to all casual and full-time employees who become disabled/killed due to a workplace accident

-COIDA excludes employees who are guilty of wilful misconduct such as horseplay in the workplace or members of SDF

-The type and severity of the injury will dictate the medical expenses and other compensations that will be paid to the employees

Question 4

Impact (Positive)

Answer 4

-Promotes health and safety in the workplace

-Creates an enabling framework for acceptable safety regulations

-COIDA does provide compensation for domestic workers

-Supplies administrative guidelines for dealing with and processing claims

Question 5

Impact (Negative)

Answer 5

-COIDA does not cover employees in the South African Defence Force

-South Africans who are temporarily or permanently employed in foreign countries arent covered by COIDA

-Employees may be forced to pay heavy penalties if they are found guilty of negligence or for not enforcing safety measures

Question 6

Non-compliance

Answer 6

-Bribing employees not to report the accident or injury based on the grounds of race or gender

-Falsifying information about previous serious accidents or occupational diseases based on the grounds of race or gender

-Failing to disclose all information on the Compensation board when accidents or injuries occur for specific employees

-Refusing to lodge claims of domestic workers

Question 7

Penalties

Answer 7

-Businesses can be forced to make large payments if they did not implement the necessary precautions to reduce accidents not promote health and safety in the workplace

-Businesses may be forced to pay recovery costs required by the compensation fund

-Employees may take a business to court for not registering with the commissioner of the compensation fund

Question 8

Ways to comply

Answer 8

-Display a summary of COIDA in the workplace where it is visible to all employees

-Pay all the required levies to the compensation fund

-Report all accidents, injuries, illnesses, fatalities to the compensation commissioner as they occur

-Register with the Compensation Board and Compensation Comissioner