Dear Reader

Here’s something to think about...
In a busy office, there is a nail sticking out of the wall. The maintenance team was supposed to knock the nail into the surface, but didn’t. Now, every employee that brushes past the nail is grazed. Since it seems so small, none of the employees that are scratched by the nail report the incident. This continues until an employee tests positive for HIV/Aids and can’t understand how he got infected.

Identify the root cause...

The purpose of incident investigation is to identify the root causes of the incident so that remedial action can be taken. The maintenance team needs to understand the dangers of not completing a task. They must understand that you are not trying to find someone to blame. Instead, you are taking steps to avoid a repeat of the same incident. 
 
Best practice

It is best practice to investigate all incidents, even where no visible damage has occurred. You need to attend to matters so that you can gather ammunition to identify areas that need your attention. This is easy if you encourage employees to report incidents.

FACT...

You must report an incident when:

•    Any person dies, becomes unconscious, or loses a limb or part of a limb;
•    The person is likely to die because of the injuries;
•    The person is likely to suffer permanent physical defect;
•    The person will be unable to work for a period of 14 days;
•    The person will be unable to return to the work for which they were employed;
•    There is a major incident;
•    The health and safety of any person was endangered; and
•    A person required medical treatment other than first aid (OHSA Sections 24 and 25 and General Administrative Regulations Section 9).

Can my company provide medical assistance instead of contributing to the Compensation Fund?

Yes. Providing medical assistance to your employees at your own cost instead of paying towards the Compensation Fund is usually the route taken by very large organisations. If you provide medical assistance for injured employees, which in the opinion of the Director-General isn’t less favourable than the legal requirement, then:

•    Your employees will be entitled to this medical assistance;
•    You won’t be required to provide or pay for any other medical assistance; and
•    The Director-General may reimburse you or reduce your contributions to the Compensation Fund to the extent he/she deems fair (COIDA Section 78).

The medical assistance referred to isn’t a medical aid such as Discovery Health. Rather, it’s the cost of actual treatment and hospitalisation for work-related conditions.

Stay safe, 

Rachel Paterson
Publisher

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