Compensation Fund, occupational injuries or diseases, compensation Fund.
When you sustain an injury while on duty or contract an occupational disease including covid-19, here are simple steps to follow:
1. Report your injury or disease immediately to your employer or supervisor. Your employer is legally responsible for reporting your injury on duty to the Compensation Fund within seven (7) days of receiving notice from you and within fourteen (14) days when it is an occupational disease as well as submitting the necessary forms and documents.
2. When you go to hospital or the doctor of your own choice, you should take the duly completed, signed and dated, Employers Report of an Accident form (W.CI.2 – Part B) from your employer, with you. The employer can also register your claim electronically and give you the claim number for you to inform your doctor.
3. When the doctor gives you the First Medical Report (W.CI.4) and Progress/Final Medical Reports (W. CI.5), you must give them to your employer to send to the Compensation Fund.
4. If you feel that your employer does not cooperate or assist you, or if you think your accident has not been reported to the Compensation Fund, or it is taking too long, go to your nearest Provincial Office or nearest Labour Centre and report this.
5. If you qualify for compensation, you have to submit the following documents to the Compensation Fund:
- Form (W.Ac.33 obtainable at your Provincial Office or your nearest Labour Centre or download if from www.labour.gov.za) must be duly completed and signed by the employee and stamped and dated by the bank
- A certified original copy of your ID
- First page of your bank statement, not older than three months and
- Proof of residence i.e. water and electricity bill, etc.
- These documents should be the ORIGINAL documents and not older than three months.
6. The reporting process for Covid-19 claims are exactly the same as for any other claim. The following documents are required for Covid-19 claims:
- Employer’s Report on an Occupational Disease (W.Cl. 1) duly completed, signed and dated.
- Notice of an Occupational Disease and Claim for Compensation (W.Cl. 14)
- First Medical Report (W.Cl.22)
- Exposure and Medical Questionnaire
- Exposure history (W.Cl.110) and/or any other appropriate employment history which may include any information which may be helpful to the Compensation Commissioner
- Pathology results (RT-PCR Cov -2 RNA) confirming the existence of Covid-19 on sputum, orophanryngeal or nasophanryngeal specimen taken at the time of screening.
7. It is your duty to follow up with the Compensation Fund to check the status of your claim.
For more information, go to your nearest Labour Centre or Provincial Office or call 0860 105 350 or email at cfcallcentre@labour.gov.za
NB: Compensation fund services are free, The Compensation Fund, Working for you!!!!