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Injury on Duty

The COID Act (Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993), implemented by government, provides for the payment of compensation in the case of an employee's disablement as a result of work-based occupational injuries and diseases or death resulting from such injuries and diseases; and provides for related matters. See a detailed explanation of COID and Employer Registration.

  1. Incidents and injuries – what employees need to know

  2. What is an Injury on Duty?

  3. HR Division guidelines and admin assistance on Injury on Duty

  4. Protocol for Financial Support for Staff in the Event of Minor Injury on Duty

  5. More info

1. Incidents and injuries – what employees need to know  

What employees should do about a workplace incident or injury

1. REPORTING all INCIDENTS - any workplace incident/accident or injury: Incident Report

  • Employee: Always report any incident/accident, even if there was no injury, as soon as possible to the supervisor/manager/HOD, as well as to your H&S rep. 

  • Employer: The employer has a duty to inform "a health and safety representative as soon as reasonably practicable of the occurrence of an incident in the workplace" (OHS Act, Section 13). 

  • Incident Report Form (Annexure 1): The supervisor/manager/HOD must ensure that ALL incidents are REPORTED to the RU Safety Health and Environmental Officer on safety(at)ru.ac.za.

    If not reported as an IOD (see below), please use the OHS Act Incident Report Form (Annexure 1)‌‌

2. REPORTING an INJURY on DUTY - employee IOD: Injury on Duty

  • HR Safety and Injury on Duty: supervisor/manager/HOD must immediately contact HR Administration on extension 8112 or email hradmin(at)ru.ac.za

  • Injury On Duty Supervisor Report‌: supervisor/manager/HOD must complete and follow the procedures detailed in the Injury On Duty Supervisor Report‌; please cc to the RU Safety Health and Environmental Officer on safety(at)ru.ac.za

  • HR Admin: will report to the Provincial Director (on form WCL1 or WCL2) within seven (7) days. 

WHAT is an IOD? Follow the link: Injury on Duty

Some practical steps for workplace incident or injury

MEDICAL ATTENTION:

  • First aid: any employee should immediately call for first aid assistance, and ensure that the supervisor/ manager/HOD is informed (who should make the call for emergency medical services, if required). RU First Aiders

  • RU staff can be taken to the RU Health Centre where the doctor on duty or a trained nurse can provide medical help and assess if further treatment at the hospital is required.

  • The medical practitioner who examines and treats the injured staff member will open an IOD file, if required; it is kept open until the required follow-up medical examinations have been conducted. 

TRANSPORT to HOSPITAL:

  • Call an Ambulance - 084 124 (ER24 used by RUMED members) or Gardmed 073 065 6660 or 10177 (provincial ambulance service).

  • If an ambulance is not available, contact the Health Centre on extension 8523. If you call the CPU (extension 8146/7) they will contact the relevant service on your behalf.

  • Note: The CPU and RU Transport Office are not equipped or qualified to transport injured/ill staff or students.

INVESTIGATING the CAUSE:

By recording the details of an incident, and investigating the root cause, the University has the necessary information to avoid a similar situation arising again. Investigation may be carried out by the user of machinery, or by a person appointed by the employer to investigate the incident, or by one of the Health and Safety Committee Membership, or by one of the RU Safety Reps.

More info:

(a) Incident/accident – no injury:

    1. Any employee should report as soon as possible to a Line Manager or Health and Safety Rep. 
    2. Health and Safety Rep should report as soon as possible to a Line Manager.
    3. Line Manager should ensure that an Incident Report (OHS Annexure 1) or HR's Accident Report Form, is completed and copy sent to SHE Officer.

(b) Incident/accident – with injury:

    1. Any employee should call for first aid help. 
    2. Any employee should report as soon as possible to a Line Manager or to Health and Safety Rep.
    3. Line Manager should ensure that the OHS Annexure 1 (Incident Report Form) or HR's Accident Report Form, is completed and copy sent to SHE Officer.

2. What is an Injury on Duty (IOD)?

In terms of the OHS Act, Section 24, an IOD results from an incident when the employee is on duty and dies, or becomes unconscious, suffers the loss of a limb / part of a limb, is otherwise injured or becomes ill to such a degree that s/he is either likely to die or likely to suffer a permanent physical defect, or is unable to work for 14 days or longer. 

Compensation is governed by the COID Act (Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, 130 of 1993). In order to claim for compensation, the accident should "arise out of and in the course of an employee's employment... resulting in a personal injury, illness or death of the employee". This means that the employee was ON DUTY, doing a task that s/he was employed to do (part of his/her job description and scope of duty) at the time of the accident. 

Who is an Employee?

According to the COID Act, an "employee" is "a person who has entered into or works under a contract of service or of apprenticeship or learnership, with an employer, whether the contract is express or implied, oral or in writing, and whether the remuneration is calculated by time or by work done, or is in cash or in kind, and includes... a casual employee employed for the purpose of the employer's business; a director or member of a body corporate who has entered into a contract of service or of apprenticeship or learnership with the body corporate, in so far as he acts within the scope of his employment in terms of such contract; a person provided by a labour broker against payment to a client for the rendering of a service or the performance of work , and for which service or work such person is paid by the labour broker; in the case of a deceased employee, his dependants, and in the case of an employee who is a person under disability, a curator acting on behalf of that employee".

3. Human Resources Division guidelines and administrative assistance on Safety and Injury on Duty:

  1. Supervisor must immediately notify HR Administration Assistant on x8112 or 8009 or email hradmin(at)ru.ac.za

  2. Injury On Duty Supervisor Report‌: Supervisor must follow the procedures detailed in the form, complete and submit to the HR Administrative Assistant within 24 hours: Injury On Duty Supervisor Report‌

    NOTE: the Injury on Duty Supervisor Report should NOT be confused with the Incident Report Form (Annexure 1)‌‌ - prescribed by the OHS Act - to be completed and submitted to the RU Safety Health and Environmental Officer on safety(at)ru.ac.za  

  3. HR Division must report the injury telephonically to the Compensation Commissioner’s office (Department of Labour) in Pretoria, and report to the Provincial Director (on form WCL1 or WCL2) within 7 days of the accident.

  4. A claim number will be generated and a TR2 Card given to the affected staff member, who is referred to Settlers Hospital for medical treatment. Note: if the staff member goes to a private doctor this will be for his/her own account.

  5. The onus is on the staff member to make sure that HR Administration is informed of the Doctor who administered treatment, and receives the First & Final Medical Reports from the Doctor concerned.

  6. Supervisor / HOD must inform HR Administration as soon as the injured staff member returns to work. It is recommended that the department keeps a copy of the initial report, records the return date on the form and submits immediately to HR Administration.

  7. HR Division deals with all matters pertaining to workman's compensation etc.

    Contact HR Administration Assistant: 046-603.8112 / 8009 or hradmin(at)ru.ac.za

4. Protocol for Financial Support

Download: Protocol for Financial Support for Staff in the Event of Minor Injury on Duty

5. More info: 

Health and Safety Guide‌ - page 15, Part 5: INCIDENTS and ACCIDENTS

Return to Rhodes University's Safety front page. Questions/Suggestions? Contact safety(at)ru.ac.za

Last Modified: Wed, 03 Oct 2018 12:14:06 SAST