Injury on Duty claims for employees who contract Covid-19 at work

Injury on Duty claims for employees who contract Covid-19 at work

Business, COIDA, Coronavirus Reliefs, Human Resources

On Friday, 20 March the Department of Labour published a notice on the compensation for occupationally acquired novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in terms of Section 6A of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA).

Occupationally acquired COVID-19 is a disease contracted by an employee arising out of and during his/her employment.

The notice deals with occupationally acquired COVID-19 resulting from exposure to confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the workplace, or after an official trip to high-risk countries or areas.

Employers must follow the stipulated regulations when submitting claims for COVID-19.

A claim for occupationally acquired COVID-19 must be set out as per sections 65 and 66 of the COID Act.

During this pandemic it is crucial for employers to implement the rules and regulations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 (OHS Act). The regulations in the OHS Act must be followed to their full extent to avoid claims by employees and fines imposed on the employer at a later stage. The OHS Act states that an employer must ensure that its working environment is safe and without risk to the health of its employees.

For more details on the official notice, follow the link.