The Workmen's Compensation Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2003


The Ministry of Manpower has amended the Second Schedule of the Workmen's Compensation Act to include Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) as one of the compensable occupational diseases. Under this amendment, workmen's compensation is payable to employees engaged in manual labour (regardless of monthly earnings) or engaged in non-manual labour and earning $1600 or less per month who have contracted SARS in the course of employment in the following occupations:-

    (a) Workers in the healthcare sector involved in the medical treatment or nursing of person(s) suffering from SARS, as well as in service ancillary to such treatment or nursing;

    (b) Workers in any sector involved in identification, detection, tracing,isolation, detention, supervision or surveillance of person(s) suffering from SARS;

    (c) Workers engaged in research on SARS, or in service ancillary to such research; or

    (d) Workers involved in laboratory, post-mortem, or funeral services work, where there is contact with human bodies or other materials which is a source of SARS infection, or in an occupation ancillary to such employment.

The amendment, namely the Workmen's Compensation Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2003, will come into effect on 19 May 2003.

Any SARS-infected employee covered by the Workmen's Compensation Act whose occupation is not specified in the Amendment Order may also be eligible for workmen's compensation if it is shown that the infection was due to a specific injury by accident arising out of and in the course of employment. Such claims will be considered on a case by case basis.

Occupational Safety & Health Division
Ministry of Manpower
       

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