Inside this issue...

- Bongani can claim compensation…
- Definition: Temporary total disablement
- How much compensation does a temporarily disabled employee deserve?
- How long are payments made for?
- And speaking of payments… next month you’ll pay an extra R3000 for your company car
- What’s happening at the Advantage ACT offices?

Dear Reader,

I doubt anyone hasn’t heard the story of the accident involving the employee whose hands were chopped off by an industrial guillotine – gruesome!

Bongani Mpange, the aforementioned, unfortunate employee, believed it happened because the machine was broken. He says the guillotine was fitted with a sensor designed to stop the blade from dropping if it sensed there was an object other than paper below it.

Bongani can claim compensation…
Two teams of doctors at the Vincent Pallotti hospital successfully reattached his hands but who knows if he’ll have the full use of them, or if he’ll now have a temporary total disablement.

Definition: Temporary total disablement

The temporary inability of an employee, as a result of an incident or occupational disease for which compensation is payable, to perform all the work they were employed to do.

How much compensation does a temporarily disabled employee deserve?

Employees who are temporarily or partially disabled get 75% of their salary from the date of the incident or when the disease was diagnosed. They’re paid this amount until their condition has stabilised or they’re able to start working again. At the current rates the monthly compensation is capped at R12 624.

You’ll be liable for the payment of compensation for the first three months from the date of the incident or diagnosis of the occupational disease. Once the three-month period has expired, you will be repaid this compensation by the Director-General or mutual association.

Remember: No payments will be made for temporary total disablement or temporary partial disablement lasting for three days or less.

How long are payments made for?

The right to compensation expires when the employee:

• is no longer disabled, i.e. he is able to work again;
• starts working again, even if it’s at a different type of work; or
• is awarded compensation for permanent disablement

(COIDA Section 47).
 
In the name of safety,

Christel Fouché

PS: What’s happening at the Advantage ACT offices?

SAATCA finally approved the Integrated Auditor Scheme Course during their last board meeting!
This is a big coup as we can now register integrated auditors with them. This is a first in South Africa (and the world) and we struggled for two and a half years to get this up and running.

I introduced the proposed new scheme to the Board of Directors on the 30th of July, in the capacity of the work group leader. We had 15 minutes to present, to the board, the outlines of the scheme and the criteria. 

The SAATCA board of directors approved the new scheme in principle and also gave us a few guidelines on what they would they would like to see in the scheme criteria.

The course aims to equip delegates with auditing experience to generate enough hours to register with an auditing body as an auditor, lead auditor or subject specialist.

Remember: 120 auditing hours in the presence of a lead auditor is normally required as a prerequisite before an individual may apply for registration with an auditors association.
Write to me at safety@fsp.co.za if you wish to receive more information.

More Health & Safety topics and recent updates...

Take a look at some of the most popular past articles:

    * Prevent and minimise incidents in two ways
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Which have been your favourites? Email me and let me know which articles are your favourites. nadia@fsp.co.za

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