disability · compensation

Disability / Disablement

Compensation - South Africa (COIDA)

Definition

Permanent or temporary reduction in earning capacity resulting from an occupational injury or disease.

Prerequisite chain

Condition. An occupational injury or disease has occurred
Functional status. Earning capacity in the pre-injury job is reduced
Applied test. Rated as a fixed statutory percentage once stabilised (post-MMI)

Assessment basis (treatment / aids) — Assessed after medical treatment has stabilised the condition (i.e. at MMI); the statutory % disablement rating already reflects the residual, post-treatment state, so it is effectively assessed in the mitigated state.

Qualifiers

Severity. Percentage of permanent disablement, per statutory schedule (e.g. loss of a limb rated at a fixed %)
Duration. Temporary Total (TTD) vs. Permanent Disablement (PD)
Scope. Whole-body vs. scheduled body-part impairment
Other. Compensation Commissioner determines the % via a medical report

Impact

Reduces or eliminates the ability to earn wages in the pre-injury occupation.

Example

A factory worker who loses a hand is assessed by the Compensation Commissioner at a fixed statutory percentage of permanent disablement, triggering a lump-sum or pension payout.

Source: Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993 (COIDA)

Language map: disability · Incapacity · Mitigated-state trap