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                  WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT (REPEALED AND REPLACED BY ACT

NO. 10 OF 1999)

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Section

1. Short title

2. Interpretation

3. Meaning of "worker"

4. Meaning of "dependant"

5. Meaning of "employer"

PART II

APPLICATION OF ACT

6. General application

7. Application of section 17

8. Civil liability of employer

9. Concurrent remedies

10. Principals and contractors

11. Workers employed outside Zambia, etc.

PART III

ADMINISTRATION

12. Establishment and Powers of Workers' Compensation Fund Control Board

13. Appointment of officers

14. Functions of Commissioner

15. Inspection and investigation

16. Secrecy

17. Revision of compensation by Commissioner

18. Powers of Commissioner in respect of witnesses, etc.

19. Objections

20. Objection on behalf of dependants

21. Formal inquiry by Commissioner

22. Appeal from decision

23. Suspension of obligation

24. Commissioner may state a case for High Court

25. Commissioner may submit Tribunal's decision to High Court

26. Technical assessors

PART IV

WORKERS' COMPENSATION APPEAL TRIBUNAL

27. Establishment of Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal

28. Functions of Tribunal

29. Decisions of Tribunal

30. Procedure in Tribunal

31. Representation of parties

32. Powers of Tribunal

33. Summoning, etc., of witnesses

34. Witness failing to attend, etc.

35. False evidence

36. Contempt of Tribunal

37. Witnesses' expenses

38. Costs

39. Effect of decisions of Tribunal

40. Appeal to High Court

PART V

RIGHT TO COMPENSATION

41. Right to compensation

42. Accident during first aid training or rescue work

43. Compensation not affected by other pension, etc.

44. Successive awards of compensation

45. Contracting out prohibited

46. Deductions from earnings prohibited

47. Death or disablement attributable to effects of medical treatment

48. Circumstances precluding award of compensation

49. Cessation and revival of periodical payments

50. Suspension of right to periodical payments

51. No abatement of compensation if worker insured

52. Contract of service not to be terminated during disablement

53. Wages for work done

54. Periodical payments in lieu of earnings

PART VI

LIABILITY FOR COMPENSATION AND AMOUNT AND PAYMENT OF

COMPENSATION

55. Liability to pay compensation

56. Amount of compensation for total disablement

57. Amount of compensation for partial disablement

58. Limit of time for periodical payments

59. Amount of compensation for permanent disablement

60. Further medical aid while receiving pension

61. Amount of compensation for death of worker

62. Compensation where worker in receipt of pension dies

63. Diminution of children's allowances

64. Child over seventeen may continue to receive allowances

65. Pensioner absent from or resident out of Commonwealth

66. Pension to cease on remarriage and gratuity to be payable on the remarriage of a

widow

66A. Commissioner to be informed of deaths

67. Method of calculating earnings

68. Calculation of earnings of permanently disabled worker under twenty-one

69. Payment of lump sum in lieu of pension

70. Worker requiring constant attendance

71. Control of payment of compensation

72. Where employer is liable to pay pension

73. Advances against compensation

73A. Review of pensions or allowances

PART VII

PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING COMPENSATION

Section

74. Notice of accident to be given

75. Employer to give notice of accident to Commissioner

76. Additional information to be supplied

76A. Entry of judgment in favour of Commissioner

77. Worker to furnish medical certificates

78. Commissioner may require medical reports

79. Commissioner may call for evidence of death

80. Worker claiming compensation to submit to medical examination

81. Procedure upon information of accident

82. Procedure on presentation of claim

83. Provisional settlement of claim by employer individually liable

84. Commissioner may require employer to make periodical payments

PART VIII

MEDICAL AID

85. First aid

86. Conveyance of injured worker

87. Medical aid expenses

88. Decisions of Commissioner in regard to medical aid

89. Power to prescribe fees for medical aid

90. Repealed by No. 19 of 1976

PART IX

DISEASES

91. Compensation in respect of diseases

92. Fixing date of accident

93. Presumption as to cause of disease

94. Minister may amend Second Schedule

95. Special provisions in respect of pneumoconiosis

96. Liability to pay compensation

PART X

COMPENSATION FUND

Section

97. Establishment of Fund

98. Application of Fund

99. Provisions relating to the liability of insurers and certain employers

100. Payment of compensation by Commissioner in respect of accidents arising under

repealed Act

101. Powers of Board

102. Holding of assets of Fund

103. Accounts and audit

PART XI

ASSESSMENTS

104. Liability to assessment

105. Exemption

106. Employers to submit information

107. Assessments on employers

108. Assessment variations

109. Assessment of employers of private domestic servants whose aggregate earnings

do not exceed K60,000 per annum

110. Contributions by employers individually liable

PART XII

MISCELLANEOUS

111. Employers to supply particulars of business

112. Employers to keep records

113. Threats and compulsion

114. False statements

115. Failure to pay assessments, etc.

116. Compensation not to form part of deceased worker's estate

117. Recovery of benefits paid in error

118. Priority of payments

119. Compensation not to be assigned, etc.

120. Stamp duty

121. Insurance companies to furnish particulars of employers

122. Evidence

123. Reciprocal arrangements

124. Summary of procedure for recovery of compensation to be displayed by employer

125. Regulations

126. Penalty

127. Repeal and saving

128. Arrangement with the Zambia National Provident Fund Board

FIRST SCHEDULE-Minimum degrees of disablement

SECOND SCHEDULE-Scheduled diseases

THIRD SCHEDULE-Monthly pension of Worker in case of total permanent disablement

and monthly allowances for children

FOURTH SCHEDULE-Monthly allowances for children

CHAPTER 271

WORKERS' COMPENSATION

An Act to make provision for the establishment and administration of a Fund for the

compensation of Workers disabled by accidents to, or diseases contracted by, such

Workers in the course of their employment, and for the payment of compensation to

dependants of Workers who die as a result of such accidents or diseases; for the payment

of contributions to such Fund by employers; for the grant of pensions and allowances to

certain dependants of Workers who, being in receipt of pensions for such disablement,

die from causes not connected with such accidents or diseases; for the appointment and

powers of a Workers' Compensation Commissioner and the establishment and powers of

a Workers' Compensation Board and an Appeal Tribunal; and for matters incidental to

and connected with the foregoing.

[1st April, 1964]

(As amended by Act No. 27 of 1994) 65 of 1963

22 of 1965

4 of 1966

37 of 1969

Government Notices

176 of 1964

497 of 1964

499 of 1964

Statutory Instruments

156 of 1965

222 of 1969

Acts No.

19 of 1973

19 of 1976

20 of 1979

24 of 1982

27 of 1994

13 of 1994

PART I

PRELIMINARY

1. This Act may be cited as the Workers' Compensation Act. Short title

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires- Interpretation

"accident" means an accident resulting in injury to a worker or in damage to, or

destruction of, any artificial aid used by a worker in the course of his or her employment;

"assessment" means an assessment or a provisional assessment made under the

provisions of Part XI, and any instalment thereof;

"Board" means the Workers' Compensation Fund Control Board established under the

provisions of section twelve;

"boarding-house" means any premises in which board and lodging are provided for gain

for three or more persons who are not members of the family of the person who provides

the board and lodging;

"business" means any industry, undertaking, trade, occupation or other activity in which

any worker is employed;

"child" means an unmarried son or daughter under the age of eighteen years, and includes

an illegitimate child, a posthumous child, a step-child, an adopted child if the

Commissioner is satisfied that such child was adopted prior to the accident concerned, the

illegitimate child of the wife of a worker, the child of any woman with whom the worker

was, in the opinion of the Commissioner, living as man and wife at the time of such

accident if such child was wholly supported by the worker and a child in respect of whom

a worker had assumed, under the law and custom of the community of which he is a

member, responsibility for support and who was supported by the worker at the time of

such accident;

"children's allowance" means the monthly allowance payable in respect of a child or

children of a disabled or deceased worker under the provisions of Part VI;

"Commissioner" means the Workers' Compensation Commissioner appointed under the

provisions of section thirteen;

"Commonwealth" means(

a) the self-governing members of the Commonwealth of Nations;

(b) all British Colonies;

(c) all states and territories under the protection of Her Britannic Majesty through Her

Government in the United Kingdom; and

(d) obsolete;

"compensation" means compensation under this Act, and includes medical aid and any

benefit of any nature to which a worker or his dependants may be entitled under this Act;

"date of commencement" means the 1st April, 1964;

"disablement", in relation to a worker, means disablement which results in the loss or

diminution of wage-earning capacity or in the reduction of the chances of obtaining

employment;

"earnings" means the average remuneration of a worker at the time of an accident

calculated in the manner provided in section sixty-seven;

"employer" means a person regarded as, or deemed to be, an employer by section five,

and includes a principal and the lawful representatives, successors or assigns of such

person or principal;

"employer individually liable" means an employer to whom exemption has been granted

under the provisions of section one hundred and five, and includes the State;

"financial year" means the period between the 1st April in any year and the 31st March

next following, both dates included;

"Fund" means the Workers' Compensation Fund established under Part X;

"injury" means a personal injury, and includes the contraction of a disease;

"legal practitioner" has the meaning assigned to it by the Legal Practitioners Act; Cap.

30

"medical aid" means any or all of the benefits prescribed in paragraphs (a) to (e) inclusive

of sub-section (1) of section eighty-seven;

"medical practitioner" means a person registered as a medical practitioner under the

provisions of the Medical and Allied Professions Act and, in relation to any medical

examination of, or report upon, any worker who is for the time being in any country

outside Zambia, a person entitled to practise medicine in such country who has been

approved for the purpose concerned by the Commissioner; Cap. 297

"partial disablement", in relation to a worker means the inability of such worker, as the

result of an accident in respect of which compensation is payable, to perform the whole

of the work at which he was employed at the time of such accident or to obtain other

suitable work at the same rate of earnings as he was receiving at the time of such

accident;

"pension" means the monthly payments of compensation referred to in Part VI, but does

not include children's allowances or periodical payments;

"periodical payment" means a periodical payment of compensation under the provisions

of sections fifty-six and fifty-seven;

"person under disability" means a minor, and a mentally disordered or defective person;

"pneumoconiosis" means any form of pneumoconiosis due to the inhalation of dust;

"prescribed" means prescribed by or under the authority of this Act;

"principal" means a person referred to as a principal in section ten;

"private domestic servant" means a person who is employed in domestic service in a

private household which is not also a boarding-house;

"regulation" means a regulation made and in force under this Act;

"representative" means the executor or other person lawfully appointed to take charge of

the estate of a deceased worker, and, if there is no such person so appointed, means any

person specially appointed by the Commissioner under this Act to make an application on

behalf of the deceased worker's dependants for compensation, and in other respects to act

as the representative of such worker for the purposes of this Act;

"scheduled disease" means any disease specified in the Second Schedule;

"serious and wilful misconduct" means-

(a) drunkeness; or

(b) a contravention of any law made for the purpose of ensuring the safety or health

of workers or of preventing accidents to workers, if the contravention was committed

deliberately or with a reckless disregard of the provisions of such law; or

(c) any other act or omission which the Commissioner or any court on appeal may,

having regard to all the circumstances of an accident, declare to be serious and wilful

misconduct;

"technical assessor" means a person appointed under the provisions of section twenty-six;

"total disablement", in relation to a worker, means the inability of such worker, as a result

of an accident in respect of which compensation is payable, to perform the work for

which he was employed at the time of such accident or other suitable work;

"Tribunal" means the Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal established under the

provisions of section twenty-seven;

"widow", in any case where a worker dies leaving no lawful widow or widower, includes

any man or woman with whom such worker was, in the opinion of the Commissioner,

living as man and wife at any relevant date.

(As amended by S.I. No. 156 of 1965, No. 4 of 1966,

No. 37 of 1969 and No. 19 of 1976)

3. (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires and subject to the exceptions

hereinafter mentioned, "worker"- Meaning of "worker"

(a) means any person who has entered into, or works under, a contract of service or

of apprenticeship or of learnership with an employer, whether the contract is expressed or

implied, is oral or in writing, and whether the remuneration is calculated by time or by

work done, or is in cash or in kind; and

(b) includes any person whose occupation is conveying for gain persons or goods by

means of any vehicle, vessel or aircraft, the use of which he has obtained under any

contract other than a purchase or hire-purchase agreement, whether or not the

remuneration of such person under such contract is partly an agreed sum and partly a

share in takings, but does not include any such person whose remuneration is fixed solely

by a share in takings.

(2) If, in any claim for compensation under this Act, it appears to the Commissioner that

the contract of service or apprenticeship or learnership under which the injured worker

was working at the time when the accident causing the injury happened was illegal or

otherwise unenforceable for any reason whatever, the Commissioner may deal with the

matter as if such contract had at such time been a valid contract of service or

apprenticeship or learnership, as the case may be.

(3) The following persons are excepted from the definition of "worker", that is to say:

(a) any person who is a member of any military forces lawfully in Zambia in respect

of any injury arising out of and in the course of his/her employment in those forces;

(b) any person in-

(i) the Zambia Police Force or the public service;

(ii) the public service of any government or authority specified by the Minister by

statutory notice;

except any such person in respect of whom no provision exists in any law for the

payment of a gratuity or pension in case of injury or death;

(c) Repealed by Act No. 19 of 1976;

(d) any person employed casually by an employer and not in connection with the

employer's trade or business;

(e) any outworker, that is to say, any person to whom articles or materials are given

out by any employer to be made up, cleaned, washed, ornamented, finished or repaired or

adapted for sale on premises not under the control of the employer;

(f) members of the Defence Force;

(g) any person who is a member of the Unified African Teaching Service or the

Teaching Service established under the provisions of the African Education Act. Cap.

135

(4) Any reference in this Act to a worker who has been injured shall, when the worker is

dead or is a person under disability, include a reference to his representative or to his

dependants or to any other person to whom or for whose benefit compensation is payable.

(As amended by G.N. No. 176 of 1964, No. 22 of 1965,

S.I. No. 156 of 1965 No. 4 of 1966 and No. 19 of 1976)

4. (1) Subject to the further provisions of this section and unless the context otherwise

requires, "dependant" in this Act means- Meaning of "dependant"

(a) the widow, widower or invalid widower of a worker, if married to, or living with,

the worker, as the case may be, at the time of the accident concerned;

(b) any child, if born before or within ten months after the time of the accident

concerned;

(c) any parent or step-parent of a worker, or any adoptive parent who adopted such

worker if the Commissioner is satisfied that the worker was adopted:

Provided that no adoptive parent shall be deemed to be a dependant unless the

worker was adopted prior to the accident concerned;

(d) any son or daughter (other than a child); any brother, sister, half-brother or halfsister;

any sister or brother of a parent; or any grandparent or grandchild of a worker;

(e) any other relation to the worker, whether by consanguinity or affinity:

Provided that no person shall be deemed to be a dependant unless-

(i) being a person who falls within the provisions of paragraph (e), he was wholly

dependent for support and maintenance upon the worker at the time of the accident

concerned; or

(ii) being a person who falls within the provisions of paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d), he

was wholly or partly dependent for support and maintenance upon the worker at the time

of the accident concerned.

(2) The widow or child of a worker or a person in respect of whom a declaration has

been made under the provisions of section sixty-four shall be deemed to be dependent for

her or his support and maintenance upon such worker, unless the contrary is proved.

(3) In the case of a worker who leaves two or more widows, such widows or widower

shall be entitled to share between themselves such compensation as would be payable to a

single widow or widower of the deceased worker, jointly or in such proportions as the

Commissioner, in his discretion, may decide.

5. (1) The Government and any person or any body of persons, corporate or

unincorporate, having a contract of service or apprenticeship or learnership with a worker

shall be regarded, for the purposes of this Act, as the employer of that worker, whether

the contract was entered into before or after the commencement of this Act.

Meaning of "employer"

(2) If the services of a worker are temporarily lent or let on hire to another person by the

person with whom a contract of service, apprenticeship or learnership is made, the latter

shall, save as is provided in sub-section (1) of section ten, be deemed to continue to be

the employer of the worker while he is working for that other person.

(3) In respect of a worker whose occupation is conveying for gain any persons or goods

by means of any vehicle, vessel or aircraft, the use of which the worker obtained from

some other person under a contract other than a purchase or hire-purchase agreement,

such other person shall, for the purpose of this Act, be deemed to be the employer.

(4) In respect of a worker employed by a club or other association of persons, the

members of the managing committee, or, if there be no such committee, the secretary or

other responsible officer, of the club or association shall be deemed to be the employer.

(5) For the purposes of the giving or receiving of statements, notices or other documents

under this Act, the term "employer" includes a manager, secretary, accountant, treasurer,

duly authorised agent or other responsible person employed or appointed by the worker's

employer.

(As amended by S.I. No. 156 of 1965 and Act No. 27 of 1994)

PART II

APPLICATION OF ACT

6. This Act shall apply in respect of accidents happening and scheduled diseases

contracted on or after the date of commencement. General application

7. The provisions of section seventeen shall apply in respect of any accident happening

and any scheduled disease contracted on or after the 1st April, 1945, and before the date

of commencement, if the obligations of an insurer in respect of the accident or

contracting of the disease have been transferred to the Board under the provisions of subsection

(2) of section ninety-nine. Application of section 17

8. (1) Where any injury is caused to a worker by the negligence, breach of statutory duty

or other wrongful act or omission of the employer, or of any person for whose act or

default the employer is responsible, nothing in this Act shall limit or in any way affect

any civil liability of the employer independently of this Act: Civil liability of

employer

Provided that any damages awarded to a worker in an action at common law or under any

law in respect of any such negligence, breach of statutory duty, wrongful act or omission,

shall be reduced by the value, as decided by the court, of any compensation which has

been paid or is payable under the provisions of this Act in respect of injury sustained by

the worker.

(2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), "compensation" includes, in the case of a

continuing liability, the capitalised value, as determined by the court, of the pension,

periodical payment or allowance, as the case may be, which constitutes the liability.

9. (1) Where an accident in respect of which compensation is payable was caused in

circumstances creating a legal liability in some person other than the employer (in this

section referred to as the third party) to pay damages to the worker in respect thereof-

Concurrent remedies

(a) the worker may both claim compensation under this Act and take proceedings

against the third party in a court to recover damages:

Provided that where any such proceedings are instituted the court shall, in

awarding damages, have regard to the amount which, by virtue of the provisions of

paragraph (b), is likely to become payable to the Commissioner or the employer

individually liable, as the case may be, by the third party; and

(b) the Commissioner or the employer individually liable by whom compensation is

payable shall have a right of action against the third party for the recovery of the

compensation he is obliged to pay under this Act as the result of the accident, and may

exercise such right either by joining in a suit instituted by the worker against the third

party or by instituting separate suit:

Provided that the amount recoverable under this paragraph shall not exceed the

amount of damages, if any, which in the opinion of the court would have been awarded to

the worker but for the provisions of this Act.

(2) A worker shall, before instituting proceedings under sub-section (1), in writing notify

the Commissioner or the employer individually liable, as the case may be, of his intention

to do so and shall likewise notify the Commissioner or such employer if he decides to

abandon such proceedings or to relinquish or settle his claim for damages, and shall in

connection with any such notification furnish such particulars as the Commissioner may

require, and no proceedings in any court to recover damages against any person referred

to in sub-section (1) may be taken by a worker until he has so notified the Commissioner

or such employer of his intention to take such proceedings and unless he has lodged a

claim for compensation.

(3) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any law, where written notice

of intention to institute proceedings under the provisions of paragraph (b) of sub-section

(1) has been given by the Commissioner, or an employer, to a third party within twelve

months of the receipt by the Commissioner or employer, as the case may be, of due

notice of the accident concerned, no such proceedings shall lapse, or be barred, under any

law relating to the limitation of actions, until after the expiration of a period of three

months from the date upon which the Commissioner has made an award, certified by him

to be a final award, of compensation in respect of such accident.

(4) For the purposes of this section, "compensation" includes, in the case of a continuing

liability, the capitalised value, as determined by the court, of the pension, periodical

payment or allowance, as the case may be, which constitutes the liability.

10. (1) Where any person (in this section referred to as the principal), in the course or

for the purposes of his trade or business, contracts with any other person (in this section

referred to as the contractor) for the execution by or under the supervision of the

contractor, of the whole or any part of any work undertaken by the principal, any worker

engaged on such work shall be deemed to be the worker of the principal unless and until

such contractor in respect of such work has been assessed as an employer and has paid all

assessments due by him to the Fund for the current year, and any reference in this Act to

the employer shall be deemed to be a reference to the principal: Principals and

contractors

Provided that if compensation becomes payable to the worker under this Act, the amount

of compensation shall be calculated with reference to the earnings of the worker under

the employer by whom he is immediately employed.

(2) Where the principal has paid an assessment or compensation which, but for the

provisions of sub-section (1), he would not have been liable to pay, he shall be entitled to

reimbursement by the contractor to such extent as the Commissioner, on application

made by the principal, finds that such contractor would have been liable had he been

deemed under this Act to be the employer of the worker.

(3) It shall be the duty of the principal to ensure that any assessment for which the

contractor is liable is paid and, if such principal fails to do so, he shall be personally

liable to pay such assessment to the Commissioner and the provisions of this Act with

regard to enforcing assessments shall apply to him, but such principal shall be entitled to

reimbursement by the contractor of any sum paid out under this sub-section.

(4) Where a principal has paid to the Commissioner any assessment or compensation

under the provisions of sub-section (2) or (3), he shall, unless he has been reimbursed by

the contractor, be entitled to deduct an amount determined in accordance with sub-section

(2) from any moneys due by him to the contractor.

(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, the Commissioner shall first

proceed against the contractor for the recovery of compensation instead of against the

principal, and in the event of failure to recover fully from the contractor, may recover the

balance from the principal.

(6) This section shall not be construed so as to impose any liability on the principal in

respect of any accident which occurs elsewhere than on, in or about the premises on

which the principal has undertaken to execute the work or which are otherwise under his

control or management.

11. (1) Where an employer carries on business chiefly within Zambia and the usual

place of employment of his workers is in Zambia and an accident happens to his worker

while the worker is temporarily employed by him out of Zambia, the worker shall be

entitled to compensation in the same manner as if the accident had happened in Zambia:

Workers employed outside Zambia, etc.

Provided that the provisions of this sub-section shall cease to apply to a worker after he

has been employed out of Zambia for a continuous period of twelve months unless the

Commissioner has, before the end of such period, agreed with the worker and the

employer concerned that those provisions should, subject to such conditions as the

Commissioner may determine, continue to apply.

(2) Where an employer carries on business chiefly outside Zambia and an accident

happens to his worker ordinarily employed outside Zambia but temporarily employed by

him in Zambia at the time of the accident, such worker shall not be entitled to

compensation out of the Fund unless the employer has previously agreed with the

Commissioner that such worker shall be entitled to compensation, and has paid

assessment:

Provided that any such worker so employed in Zambia for a continuous period of more

than twelve months shall be deemed to be ordinarily employed by such employer in

Zambia.

(3) Where, by the law of the country in which an accident happens, a worker in the

circumstances described in sub-section (1) is entitled to compensation in respect of such

accident, or where an accident happens to a worker in Zambia and he would be entitled to

compensation under the law of any other country as well as under this Act, he shall, by

notice to the Commissioner, elect to claim compensation either under this Act or under

the law of the other country:

Provided that-

(a) if such worker elects to claim compensation under this Act he shall-

(i) present a claim under this Act; and

(ii) cede to the Commissioner or the employer individually liable, as the case may be,

his claim under the law of the other country, and if the amount recoverable under such

other law exceeds the amount of the compensation under this Act, the cession shall be

effective in respect of so much of the claim as equals the amount of such compensation;

(b) if such worker elects to claim compensation under the law of another country-

(i) where the amount so recoverable is less than the compensation which would have

been payable under this Act, the Commissioner or the employer individually liable, as the

case may be, shall grant compensation not exceeding the amount of such difference; and

(ii) where the claim lies against an employer who has paid assessments, the

Commissioner shall reimburse such employer to the extent of the compensation payable

under this Act.

PART III

ADMINISTRATION

12. (1) (a) There is hereby established the Workers' Compensation Fund Control Board

which shall consist of a Chairman and not more than eleven other members. The

Chairman and the other members shall be appointed by the Minister. Establishment

and powers, of Worker's Compensation Fund Control Board

(b) Each member of the Board shall be appointed for a term not exceeding three years

but, on the expiry of such term, shall be eligible for re-appointment.

(2) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Board shall be responsible for the

administration of the Fund and of this Act and for advising the Minister on any matters in

connection with the Fund or this Act, and in particular, but without derogating from the

generality of the foregoing, the Board shall-

(a) give all necessary directions to the Commissioner for the effective administration

of this Act;

(b) after the conclusion of each financial year, report to the Minister upon the

administration of the Fund and of this Act during that year.

(3) The Board may, subject to the approval of the Minister, promote, establish and

subsidise out of the Fund any organisation or scheme the objects of which consist of or

include one or more of the following:

(a) the prevention of accidents or of any diseases which are due to the nature of any

occupation;

(b) the promotion of the health or safety of workers;

(c) the provision of facilities designed to assist injured workers to return to work or to

reduce or remove any handicap resulting from their injuries.

(4) The Board may guarantee loans made to employees of the Board to assist them

acquire housing accommodation.

(5) A member of the Board shall cease to hold office if-

(a) he dies; or

(b) he resigns; or

(c) he is adjudicated bankrupt or enters into any arrangement for the benefit of his

creditors; or

(d) he is adjudicated to be of unsound mind; or

(e) he is convicted of an offence and sentenced therefor to imprisonment without the

option of a fine; or

(f) he is absent from four consecutive meetings of the Board without leave of the

Chairman; or

(g) his appointment is terminated by the Minister.

(6) The Board shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal

and shall, in its corporate name, be capable of suing and being sued and, subject to the

provisions of this Act, of purchasing or otherwise acquiring, holding, charging and

alienating property, real or personal, and of doing or performing such acts or things as

bodies corporate may by law do or perform.

(7) The Board may meet together for the despatch of business, adjourn and otherwise

regulate its meetings and proceedings as it thinks fit.

(8) A majority of members (not including members who have been given leave of

absence by the Chairman) shall constitute a quorum of any meeting of the Board, and all

acts, matters or things authorised or required to be done by the Board shall be decided by

resolution of any meeting at which a quorum is present.

(9) At a meeting of the Board at which the Chairman is not present the members present,

if they constitute a quorum, shall elect one of their number to be Chairman of that

meeting.

(10) The common seal of the Board shall not be affixed to any instrument except by

authority of a resolution of the Board, and the sealing of any instrument shall be

authenticated by the signature of the Chairman or of the Commissioner and of such other

person as the Board may appoint for the purpose.

(11) The members of the Board shall be paid out of the Fund such remuneration, and

such travelling and subsistence allowances, as the Minister may direct.

(No. 37 of 1969, No. 19 of 1976, No. 20 of 1979

and No. 24 of 1982)

13. (1) The Minister shall appoint a person to be the Workers' Compensation

Commissioner. Appointment of officers

(2) The Board may, subject to the approval of the Minister, appoint such other persons

as, in its opinion, are necessary for the administration of this Act.

(3) The Commissioner may, subject to the general or special directions of the Minister,

delegate any of his powers and functions under this Act to any person appointed under

sub-section (2).

(4) The amount of remuneration and the terms and conditions of service of all persons

appointed under this section shall, subject to the approval of the Minister, be determined

by the Board and such remuneration shall be paid out of the Fund.

(No. 37 of 1969)

14. Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Commissioner shall-

(a) receive notices of accidents and claims for compensation;

(b) inquire into or cause inquiry to be made into accidents;

(c) adjudicate upon all claims and other matters coming before him for decision;

(d) determine whether any person is a worker, employer, principal or contractor for

the purposes of this Act;

(e) pay compensation payable from the Fund under the provisions of this Act;

(f) decide any question relating to-

(i) the right to compensation;

(ii) the submission, consideration and determination of claims for compensation;

(iii) computation of earnings;

(iv) the degree of disablement of any worker;

(v) the amount and method of payment of any compensation;

(vi) the withholding, revision, discontinuance or suspension of any compensation;

(g) determine whether any person is a dependant under this Act and, if so, the degree

of dependence, and where there is more than one dependant, which shall receive

compensation and the allocation of compensation among them;

(h) determine any question arising in respect of the necessity for, or the character or

the sufficiency of, any medical aid;

(i) determine any question relating to the rendering of statements of wages, liability

for assessment, rates of assessment, amount of assessment and method of payment of

assessment;

(j) determine any other question falling within his purview in connection with the

application of this Act or in respect of any employer or worker;

(k) after the conclusion of each financial year, report to the Board upon the

administration of this Act during that year;

(l) collect, compile and maintain such statistics and information relating to the

occurrence or cause of accidents and scheduled diseases and the grant of benefits to

persons under this Act as he may deem necessary or as may be required by the Board;

(m) investigate whether any disease should be included in or deleted from the Second

Schedule and make recommendations to the Board in regard thereto;

(n) make any investigations and perform such other functions and duties as may have

been assigned to him or as he deems necessary for the administration of this Act.

(As amended by No. 22 of 1965 and No. 37 of 1969) Functions of Commissioner

15. (1) The Commissioner may, in writing, authorise any competent person either

generally or specially to investigate any matter falling within his purview and to report to

him upon any such matter, and any person so authorised shall have the power to require

and take affidavits or declarations as to any matter to which the investigation or report

relates, or to take any other declarations required under this Act, and in all cases to

administer oaths and attest declarations. Inspection and investigation

(2) Upon the production of the written authority referred to in sub-section (1), such

person may, without previous notice and at all reasonable times, enter upon any land,

works, premises or other place, and may question any employer or other person and

inspect any part of the land, works, premises or other place or any books or documents

which may contain information required for the purposes of this Act and take copies of or

extracts from such books or documents.

(3) Any person who obstructs any person authorised under sub-section (1) in the lawful

exercise of his functions under this section or who makes or subscribes to any statement,

knowing it is false, or who refuses to answer any questions or produce any document,

shall be guilty of an offence.

(4) The Commissioner may himself exercise any powers mentioned in this section, and

whenever the Commissioner is exercising any such power, all the provisions of this

section shall apply.

16. (1) If any person in the exercise of any powers conferred or in the performance of

any duties imposed by or under this Act acquires information relating to the financial

affairs of any other person, firm or business, or to any manufacturing or commercial

secrets or working processes, he shall not, save for the purposes of legal proceedings

under this Act, disclose such information to any other person, except- Secrecy

(a) to a court of law or to any person who by law is vested with the power to compel

the disclosure of such information; or

(b) to the Minister or to any person acting in the execution of this Act in so far as

such information may be necessary for the execution thereof.

(2) Any person who wilfully contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be guilty

of an offence.

17. (1) The Commissioner may, after giving notice in writing to the person concerned

and giving him an opportunity to be heard, at any time review any compensation granted

on any of the following grounds: Revision of compensation by Commissioner

(a) that the worker has not submitted himself for examination or has not submitted a

medical report when required to do so under the provisions of this Act;

(b) that the disablement which gave rise to the award is continued or aggravated by

the unreasonable refusal or wilful neglect of the worker to submit himself to medical or

surgical treatment;

(c) that the worker has absented himself in such manner that no notice can reasonably

be served on him;

(d) that in the opinion of the Commissioner the degree of disablement has increased

or diminished or that the worker is no longer permanently disabled;

(e) that any compensation awarded is or has become either excessive or insufficient

to meet the circumstances of the case;

(f) that the award was based on a mistake or misrepresentation of fact, or that a

different award might have been made if evidence presently available but which was not

available when the Commissioner made the award had been produced.

(2) The Commissioner may, after giving notice in writing to any person concerned and

after giving such person an opportunity to be heard, at any time review any decision, not

being an award of compensation, given by him under this Act.

(3) The Commissioner, after making such inquiry or receiving such evidence as he

deems necessary, may confirm the award of compensation or order the discontinuance,

suspension, reduction or increase of any such compensation, or, in the case of any

decision referred to in sub-section (2) confirm, set aside or vary that decision.

(4) For the purposes of this section, "compensation" shall include medical aid.

18. (1) The Commissioner may, and at the request of any interested party shall, summon

any person who may be able to give material information concerning the subject of any

investigation or formal inquiry held by him under this Act or whom he suspects or

believes has in his possession or custody or under his control, any book, document or

thing which has any bearing on the investigation or formal inquiry, to appear before him

at a time and place specified in such summons, to be interrogated or to produce such

book, document or thing, and the Commissioner may retain for further examination any

book, document or thing so produced. Powers of Commissioner in respect of

witnesses, etc.

(2) A summons under sub-section (1) shall be signed by the Commissioner.

(3) The Commissioner may call and administer an oath to any person present at an

investigation who was or might have been summoned under the provisions of sub-section

(1), and the Commissioner and any assessor may interrogate him and require him to

produce any relevant book, document or thing in his possession or custody or under his

control.

(4) If any person, having been duly summoned under sub-section (1), fails without

sufficient cause to attend at the time and place specified in such summons, he shall be

guilty of an offence.

(5) If any person, having been duly summoned under sub-section (1), or any person

called under the provisions of sub-section (3), fails to remain in attendance until excused

by the Commissioner from further attendance or refuses to be sworn as a witness or fails

to answer fully and satisfactorily to the best of his knowledge and belief all questions

lawfully put to him, or to produce any book, document or thing in his possession or

custody or under his control when lawfully required to do so, he shall be guilty of an

offence.

(6) In connection with the interrogation of any person by, or the production of any book,

document or thing before, the Commissioner, the law relating to privilege, as applicable

to a witness summoned to give evidence or produce any book, document or thing before a

court of law, shall apply.

(7) Any witness who knowingly gives false testimony touching any matter which is

material to any question then pending in any investigation or formal inquiry or intended

to be raised in the investigation or inquiry shall be guilty of an offence and liable to

imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years. It shall be immaterial whether such

testimony is given on oath or under any other sanction authorised by law.

(8) The interrogation of a witness shall be conducted in public unless the Commissioner

otherwise decides.

(9) A person summoned to appear before the Commissioner may, if the Commissioner is

satisfied that he has, by reason of such appearance, suffered any pecuniary loss or been

put to any expense, be paid out of the Fund such allowances as may be prescribed or the

amount of such loss and such expense, whichever is the less.

(10) Any person who wilfully hinders the Commissioner in the exercise of any of the

powers conferred upon him by this section shall be guilty of an offence.

(11) In this section, "Commissioner" includes any person acting within the scope of any

delegation made under the provisions of sub-section (3) of section thirteen.

(As amended by No. 37 of 1969)

19. (1) Any person affected by a decision of the Commissioner, or any trade union or

employers' organisation of which the person in respect of whom such decision was given

was at the relevant times a member, may, within thirty days of such decision, or within

such further period as the Commissioner may on good cause shown allow, lodge with the

Commissioner an objection against such decision. Objections

(2) The Commissioner may consider an objection similarly lodged, as provided in subsection

(1), by a trade union or employers' organisation not falling within the provision of

the said sub-section, if, in the opinion of the Commissioner, an important principle is

involved.

(3) An objection under this section shall be in writing in the prescribed form,

accompanied by particulars containing-

(a) a concise statement of the circumstances in which the objection is made and the

relief or order which the objector claims, or the question which he desires to have

determined;

(b) the full name and address of the objector and of any legal practitioner or other

representative who is to represent such objector.

(4) If an objection is made by an employer individually liable, it shall be accompanied

by a statement as to whether he admits his liability to pay compensation or denies such

liability and whether the admission or denial is total or partial, and, if he admits or denies

liability partially, a statement of the extent to which he admits or denies liability, and in

the case of a denial of liability the grounds thereof shall be stated.

(5) If, owing to illiteracy, blindness or any other physical cause, an objector is unable to

complete the prescribed form or to supply the information required, the Labour Officer or

District Secretary of the District in which the objector resides shall fill in the objection

and particulars in the prescribed form and shall lodge the objection with the

Commissioner.

20. (1) If an objection under section nineteen arises out of a claim for compensation in

respect of a worker's death, the objection made on behalf of the dependants shall be made

by the representative of the deceased worker or, if there is no such representative, by a

person appointed by the Commissioner to make such objection and in other respects to

act as representative of the deceased worker for the purposes of this Act, and the

Commissioner is hereby authorised to make such an appointment, and for the purposes of

this sub-section, "dependants" includes persons who claim or may be entitled to claim to

be dependants. Objection on behalf of dependants

(2) A representative shall comply with the provisions of section nineteen as to the

lodging of an objection and the particulars to accompany such objection.

21. An objection lodged under the provisions of section nineteen shall be considered

and determined by the Commissioner in a formal inquiry in such manner as may be

prescribed, and the Commissioner shall confirm any decision in respect of which the

objection was lodged or give such other decision as in his opinion is equitable. Formal

inquiry by Commissioner

22. Any person affected by a decision referred to in section twenty-one may appeal to

the Tribunal within twenty-one days of such decision or within such further period as the

Tribunal may on good cause shown allow. Appeal from decision

23. Except where the Commissioner otherwise orders, no obligation to pay any

assessment, compensation or other amount to the Commissioner or the Fund, or any

periodical payments to or in respect of a worker by reason of a decision of the

Commissioner shall be suspended or deferred by reason of the fact that an objection has

been lodged against such decision under sub-section (2) of section nineteen, or that an

appeal has been lodged under section twenty-two, but if, as a result of any such objection

or review, the amount payable by reason of the original decision is varied the person who

made the payment shall be entitled to a refund or be liable to pay the additional amount,

as the case may be. Suspension of obligation

24. (1) The Commissioner may of his own motion and shall at the request of any

interested party to any proceedings under this Act, state a special case on any question of

law in connection with any matter arising in such proceedings, for the decision of the

High Court. Commissioner may state a case for High Court

(2) In any case so stated the Commissioner shall set forth-

(a) the facts which were established; and

(b) the view of the law which he has adopted in relation to those facts.

25. Whenever the Commissioner has any doubt as to the correctness of any decision

given by the Tribunal on any question of law in connection with this Act, he may submit

that decision to the High Court and cause the matter to be argued before it, in order that it

may determine the said question for the future guidance of all courts. Commissioner

may submit Tribunal's decision to High Court

26. (1) The Commissioner may appoint as an assessor any person skilled in technical

questions, other than medical, dental, or surgical questions, to sit with him and to act in

an advisory capacity in a formal inquiry under the provisions of section twenty-one.

Technical assessors

(2) A person shall not be appointed as an assessor under this section or, if appointed, no

person shall sit if-

(a) he is an employee of, or associated in any pecuniary manner with, the employer of

the worker concerned;

(b) he has, in connection with the injury or death out of which the formal inquiry

arises, given professional assistance or advice in regard to the accident or question in

dispute to any party to the inquiry or to any person who may become liable for the

payment of compensation under this Act to such worker.

(3) There shall be paid out of the Fund to any assessor, other than an assessor employed

in the public service, such fees as may be prescribed.

PART IV

WORKERS' COMPENSATION APPEAL TRIBUNAL

27. (1) There is hereby established a Tribunal to be known as the Workers'

Compensation Appeal Tribunal which shall consist of a Chairman, appointed by the

Minister, and two other members. Establishment of Worker's Compensation Appeal

Tribunal

(2) The Chairman shall be a barrister, solicitor, or advocate entitled to practice in Zambia

or a person who holds or has held judicial office in any part of the Commonwealth.

(3) The other members of the Tribunal for any sitting thereof shall be chosen by the

Chairman from a list of persons nominated by the Minister and considered by the

Minister to be persons suitable to be members of the Tribunal, having regard to the

functions thereof.

(4) A person shall not be chosen or, if chosen, shall not sit or act as a member of the

Tribunal if he has, in connection with the injury or death out of which the matter in

dispute arises, given professional assistance or advice in regard to the accident or the

matter in dispute to any party to the dispute or to any person who may become liable for

the payment of compensation under this Act to the worker.

(5) Any person chosen as a member of the Tribunal shall, while engaged in any sitting or

any work of the Tribunal, receive from moneys appropriated by Parliament such

remuneration as may be prescribed and his reasonable expenses for travelling and

subsistence in accordance with such tariff as may be prescribed.

(6) There shall be a Secretary of the Tribunal appointed by the Minister.

(7) A record of the proceedings of the Tribunal shall be kept and filed in the office of the

Secretary of the Tribunal, and the same may be inspected and copies obtained upon

payment of the same fees as if they were civil records of a subordinate court.

(As amended by G.N. No. 176 of 1964

and S.I. No. 156 of 1965)

28. The functions of the Tribunal shall be-

(a) to hear any appeal made to it under the provisions of this Act;

(b) to deal with any other matter with which it is required or permitted to deal under

this Act;

(c) generally to deal with all matters necessary or incidental to the performance of its

functions under this Act. Functions of Tribunal

29. All questions or matters requiring to be decided by the Tribunal shall be decided by

a majority: Decisions of Tribunal

Provided that any matter of law arising for decision at any sitting of the Tribunal, and any

question arising at any such sitting as to whether a matter for decision is a matter of fact

or a matter of law, shall be decided by the Chairman, and no other member of the

Tribunal shall have a voice in the decision of any such matter.

30. (1) The Chairman of the Tribunal shall make rules to regulate its procedure, which

shall be as simple and informal as possible, and, in any case not covered by such rules,

the Tribunal shall act in such manner and on such principles as it deems best fitted to do

substantial justice and to effect and carry out the objects and provisions of this Act.

Procedure in Tribunal

(2) Rules made under this section may provide for the examination, at the instance of the

Tribunal, in private by medical practitioners or dentists of a worker who is a party to the

dispute.

31. (1) At any hearing before the Tribunal any party may appear- Representation of

parties

(a) in person; or

(b) by a legal practitioner; or

(c) by a member of his family; or

(d) by a person in the permanent and exclusive employment of such party; or

(e) in the case of a worker, by an officer of a trade union, or of an organisation

approved of by the Minister, or, in the case of an employer, by an officer of an

employers' organisation; or

(f) by an officer of the Labour Department; or

(g) in the case of a company, by any director, secretary or other officer thereof, and,

in the case of a corporate body which is not a company, by an officer thereof; or

(h) by leave of the Chairman, by any other person.

(2) No person other than a legal practitioner shall be entitled to recover any fee or

reward, other than necessary out-of-pocket disbursements and expenses, for appearing on

behalf of any person before the Tribunal.

(As amended by G.N. No. 499 of 1964 and S.I. No. 156 of 1965)

32. The Tribunal may-

(a) confirm, vary or reverse the decision appealed from as justice may require;

(b) if the record does not furnish sufficient evidence or information for the

determination of the appeal, remit the matter to the Commissioner with instructions in

regard to the taking of further evidence or the setting out of further information;

(c) order the parties, or either of them, to produce to the Tribunal at some convenient

time such further proof as the Tribunal deems necessary or desirable; or

(d) take any other course which may lead to the just, speedy and inexpensive

settlement of the matter. Powers of Tribunal

33. (1) The Tribunal shall have the power to summon witnesses, to call for the

production of and grant inspection of books, documents and other things, and to examine

witnesses on oath, and for such purpose the Chairman is hereby authorised to administer

oaths. Summoning, etc., of witnesses

(2) A summons for the attendance of witnesses or the production of books, documents or

other things shall be signed by the Secretary to the Tribunal and served in the same

manner as if it were a subpoena for the attendance of a witness at a civil trial in a

subordinate court.

(3) Any person summoned to give evidence, or to produce any book, document or other

thing, or giving evidence, before the Tribunal, shall be entitled to the same privileges and

immunities as if he were summoned to attend or were giving evidence in civil

proceedings before a subordinate court.

34. (1) If any person who has been summoned under the provisions of section thirtythree,

having reasonable notice of the time and place at which he is required to attend,

fails to attend accordingly, or fails to remain in attendance until duly excused by the

Tribunal from such further attendance, the Chairman of the Tribunal may, upon being

satisfied on oath or by the return of the person charged with the service of such summons

that the summons was duly served upon such person, and, in case no sufficient reason for

such failure seems to him to exist, issue a warrant, signed by the Chairman, for the

apprehension of such person who shall thereupon be apprehended by any police officer to

whom such warrant is delivered and shall be brought before the Tribunal to give his

evidence or to produce the book, document or other thing, and in addition such person

shall be liable to be fined summarily by the Chairman of the Tribunal for his default such

amount, not exceeding one penalty unit, as the Chairman may determine. Witness

failing to attend, etc.

(2) If any person who has been summoned under the provisions of section thirty-three

refuses to be sworn as a witness, or having been sworn, refuses to answer fully and

satisfactorily any question lawfully put to him, or refuses or fails to produce any book,

document or other thing, and does not excuse his refusal or failure to the satisfaction of

the Tribunal, the Chairman of the Tribunal may order that such person be detained in

custody as if he were a prisoner awaiting trial for any period not exceeding eight days

unless he sooner consents to do what is required of him, and if such person, upon being

brought up before the Tribunal at any adjourned hearing, again refuses or fails to do what

is required of him, the Chairman may, if he sees fit, again adjourn the proceedings and

order that he be detained for a like period, and so again from time to time until such

person consents to do what is required of him.

(3) A person mentioned in sub-section (2) shall, in addition to being detained in custody,

as in such sub-section provided, be liable to be fined summarily by the Chairman of the

Tribunal such amount, not exceeding one penalty unit, as the Chairman may determine.

(As amended by Act No. 13 of 1994)

35. Any person who knowingly gives false testimony touching any matter which is

material to any question then pending in any proceedings before the Tribunal or intended

to be raised in such proceedings shall be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment

for a period not exceeding seven years. It shall be immaterial whether such testimony is

given on oath or under any other sanction authorised by law. False evidence

36. If any person wilfully insults the Tribunal or any member thereof during any sitting

of the Tribunal or wilfully interrupts the proceedings of the Tribunal, or otherwise

wilfully disturbs the peace or order of such proceedings, the Chairman of the Tribunal

may order that person to be removed and detained in custody until the rising of the

Tribunal, and every such person shall be liable, in addition to such removal and

detention, to be fined summarily by the Chairman of the Tribunal such amount, not

exceeding one penalty unit, as the Chairman may determine.

(As amended by Act No. 13 of 1994) Contempt of Tribunal

37. A person summoned under the provisions of section thirty-three may, on the order

of the Tribunal, be paid out of the Fund such allowances as may be prescribed.

Witnesses' expenses

38. (1) The Tribunal may make such order as to costs as it may deem just having regard

to the means of the parties and the merits of the appeal. Costs

(2) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (1), the costs and charges in connection with

proceedings before the Tribunal shall be payable in accordance with the scale of costs for

the time being in use in subordinate courts in civil cases.

(3) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (1), payment of costs awarded by the

Tribunal may not be enforced until they have been taxed by the clerk of a subordinate

court of the first class of the District in which the appeal is heard.

39. Any decisions of the Tribunal shall, subject to the provisions of section forty, be

final. Effect of decisions of Tribunal

40. (1) Any person who- Appeal to High Court

(a) being a party to any appeal before the Tribunal is dissatisfied-

(i) with the determination of the Tribunal as being erroneous in point of law; or

(ii) with any decision of the Chairman of the Tribunal as to whether the matter for

determination by the Tribunal is a matter of fact or a matter of law; or

(b) has been fined summarily by the Chairman of the Tribunal;

may appeal therefrom to the High Court within thirty days of such determination,

decision or fine or within such further period as the High Court may on good cause

shown allow.

(2) Upon the hearing of an appeal under this section, the High Court may-

(a) confirm, vary or reverse the matter appealed against;

(b) remit the matter to the Tribunal with instructions in regard to the taking of further

evidence or the setting out of further information;

(c) order the parties or any of them to produce at some convenient time before the

High Court such further proof as may seem necessary or desirable;

(d) take any other course which may lead to the just, speedy and inexpensive

settlement of the matter;

(e) make such order as to costs as may seem just.

(3) The decision of the High Court in any appeal under this section shall be final.

(4) Rules of court for regulating appeals to the High Court under this section and for the

procedure on such appeals may be made under the provisions of the High Court Act:

Cap. 27

Provided that until such rules are so made, the rules governing appeals in civil matters

from subordinate courts to the High Court shall, mutatis mutandis, apply and be followed.

PART V

RIGHT TO COMPENSATION

41. (1) If an accident to a worker arising out of and in the course of his employment

happens after the date of commencement and results in such worker's disablement or

death, he, or if he dies, his dependants, shall become entitled to compensation in

accordance with the provisions of this Act. Right to compensation

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-section (1), no compensation under this

section shall be payable-

(a) if the accident is attributable to the serious and wilful misconduct of the worker,

unless the accident results in serious permanent disablement, or the worker has died in

consequence of the accident, leaving as his dependant his widow or a child or any

dependant wholly dependent upon him;

(b) in respect of his death, if the worker dies more than twelve months after the

accident, unless it is proved that the accident directly caused the death or was the

principal contributory cause of death.

(3) For the purposes of this Act, an accident shall be deemed to arise out of and in the

course of his employment notwithstanding that the worker was at the time when the

accident happened acting in contravention of any law applicable to his employment or of

any instructions issued by or on behalf of his employer, or that he was acting without

instructions from his employer, if-

(a) the accident would have been deemed so to have arisen had the act not been done

in contravention as aforesaid or without instructions from his employer, as the case may

be; and

(b) the act was done for the purposes of and in connection with the employer's trade

or business.

(4) An accident happening while a worker is travelling from his home to his place of

work or from his place of work to his home, whether by a vehicle supplied by or on

behalf of his employer or by any other means, shall be deemed to arise out of and in the

course of his employment if the worker was, in the opinion of the Commissioner, so

travelling by a reasonably direct route and with reasonable dispatch.

(5) An accident happening to a worker in or about any premises at which he is for the

time being employed for the purposes of his employer's trade or business shall be deemed

to arise out of and in the course of his employment if it happens while he is taking steps,

on an actual or supposed emergency at those premises, to rescue, succour, assist or

protect persons who are, or are thought to be or possibly be, injured or imperilled, or to

avert or minimise serious damage to property.

(6) For the purposes of this Act, an accident arising in the course of a worker's

employment shall be deemed, in the absence of evidence of the contrary, also to have

arisen out of that employment.

(As amended by No. 37 of 1969 and No. 19 of 1976)

42. When a worker meets with an accident-

(a) while, with the consent of his employer, being trained in first aid, ambulance or

rescue work or engaged in any competition in connection therewith; or

(b) in, at or about any premises other than his employer's while, with the consent of

his employer, engaged in any first aid, ambulance, or rescue work; or

(c) in, at or about his employer's premises while engaged in any first aid, ambulance

or rescue work;

whereby such worker sustains injury resulting in disablement or death, such injury shall,

for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to arise out of and in the course of his

employment. Accident during first aid training or rescue work

43. (1) If a worker or any of his dependants who is entitled to compensation under this

Act has received or will receive in respect of an accident any pension or gratuity from the

employer of the worker, then, in determining the amount of such compensation, no

reduction shall be made in respect of any amount paid or to be paid by the employer by

way of such pension or gratuity. Compensation not affected by other pension, etc.

(2) If a worker or any of his dependants who is entitled to compensation under this Act

has received or will receive in respect of an accident any pension or gratuity from a

pension, superannuation or provident fund to which the employer has contributed, then,

in determining the amount of such compensation, no reduction shall be made in respect

of the amount which has been received or will be received by the worker or any of his

dependants from that fund.

44. (1) Subject to the provisions of section forty-three, the Commissioner may in his

discretion, in awarding or revising the award of any compensation to a worker in respect

of permanent disablement or to his dependants, have regard to- Successive awards of

compensation

(a) in the case of a worker, any compensation for permanent disablement previously

awarded to the worker under the workers' compensation law of any country, whether as

the result of one or more than one accident or paid by one or more than one employer, or

any benefit granted to the worker under any law on account of permanent disablement;

(b) in the case of dependants, any benefits or settlements granted to them under any

law on account of the death of the worker.

(2) The compensation payable to a worker, whether in respect of one or more than one

accident, shall not, in any case, exceed the compensation payable in respect of one

hundred per centum disablement:

Provided that, in determining such compensation, the calculation shall be based upon the

earnings most favourable to the worker at the time of any such accident.

(3) For the purposes of this section, compensation payments made to a worker or his

dependants under the provisions of the Pneumoconiosis Act or the Act repealed thereby

shall not be deemed to be a benefit on account of permanent disablement or death. Cap.

217

(4) Whenever a worker has received compensation for permanent disablement under this

Act and subsequently meets with an accident resulting in further disablement in respect

of which compensation is payable under this Act, the Commissioner may, if the worker

shows to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that it would be to his advantage to do so,

calculate his compensation in respect of the further permanent disablement on the

earnings he was receiving when he met with any previous accident in respect of which

compensation was paid.

(As amended by S.I. No. 156 of 1965)

45. (1) Save as is specially provided in this Act in respect of agreements, any provision

in a contract existing at the commencement of this Act or thereafter entered into, whereby

a worker or his dependants relinquish any right to compensation, whether for the worker

or for any dependant, shall be null and void. Contracting out prohibited

(2) Notwithstanding anything in this Act contained, where the Commissioner is satisfied

that, by reason of old age or serious physical defect or infirmity or any previous injury, a

person, if employed as a worker, is specially liable to meet with an accident, or, if he

meets with an accident is specially liable to sustain injury, he may, in connection with

any contract for such employment, authorise the worker and the employer to enter into an

agreement in writing that less than the amount payable under this Act shall be paid in

respect of the disablement or death of that person:

Provided that-

(i) such agreement shall be effective only when the old age or serious physical defect

or infirmity or previous injury has caused or contributed to the accident; and

(ii) no such agreement shall be valid and effectual unless the amount agreed to be

paid in respect of the disablement or death is at least one-half of the amount that would

otherwise be payable as compensation under this Act and has been approved by the

Commissioner.

46. (1) Any employer who withholds from any moneys due from him to any of his

workers any part of any sum which the employer is or may become liable to pay as

compensation or assessment under this Act, or who requires or permits any of his

workers to contribute towards the cost of any liability which he has incurred or may incur

under this Act, shall be guilty of an offence. Deductions from earnings prohibited

(2) Any court convicting an employer of an offence under sub-section (1) may, in

addition to imposing any other penalty upon him, order that he shall pay to the worker

any sum which he has unlawfully required or permitted the worker to contribute and such

order shall have the effect of a civil judgment of the court:

Provided that no order shall be made under the provisions of this sub-section unless and

until the employer has been afforded an opportunity to show cause why the order should

not be made against him.

47. Where a worker has received medical treatment in consequence of any accident

arising out of and in the course of his employment and such treatment, whether through

negligence or otherwise, results, through no wilful default on the part of the worker, in

the death or disablement, or increased or continued disablement, of the worker, such

death or disablement or increased or continued disablement, as the case may be, shall for

the purposes of this Act, be deemed to have resulted from the accident, and the

compensation payable under this Act shall be assessed accordingly: Death or

disablement attributable to effects of medical treatment

Provided that-

(i) where a worker or any dependant of a worker as the case may be, has received

any payment, not being compensation payable under this Act, in respect of any

disablement, increased or continued disablement or death attributable to such medical

treatment, then, in assessing any compensation payable under this Act, regard shall be

had to such payment;

(ii) where a worker or any dependant of a worker as the case may be, receives under

the provisions of this Act, any compensation or increased compensation in respect of any

disablement, increased or continued disablement or death which is attributable to any

medical treatment received by the worker, any right of action of such worker or

dependant, as the case may be, on account of such treatment shall, if not exercised by the

worker or dependant, as the case may be, vest in and be exercisable by the Commissioner

or by the employer individually liable.

48. Where under this Act there exists any right to compensation in respect of the death

or disablement of any worker as a result of an accident, the Commissioner may in his

discretion refuse to award the whole or a portion of such compensation and the

Commissioner, or, if authorised thereto by the Commissioner, the employer individually

liable, may further refuse to pay the whole or any portion of the cost of medical aid-

(a) if such worker has at any time represented to the employer or the Commissioner

that he was not suffering or had not previously suffered from a serious injury or a

scheduled disease or a serious illness knowing that the representation was false, and the

accident has been caused by or the death has resulted from or the disablement has

resulted from or been aggravated by such injury, disease or illness; or

(b) if, in the opinion of the Commissioner, the death was caused or the disablement

was caused, continued or aggravated by an unreasonable refusal or wilful neglect of the

worker to submit to medical or surgical treatment in respect of any injury, disease or

illness whether caused by the accident or contracted before the accident concerned.

Circumstances precluding award of compensation

49. Subject to the provisions of section fifty-six, the right to periodical payments shall

cease and the worker shall be entitled to compensation for any permanent disablement he

may suffer-

(a) when the worker is, in the opinion of the Commissioner, able to resume the work

at the which he was employed at the time of the accident or other suitable work having

the same or greater emoluments;

(b) when, in the opinion of the Commissioner, the injury causing the disablement has

become static and no further medical aid will be required by the worker in respect of the

injury before the expiration of eighteen months from the commencement of the

disablement: Cessation and revival of periodical payments

Provided that the Commissioner may revive the right to periodical payments if-

(i) the worker suffers further disablement as the result of the same accident; or

(ii) the worker undergoes further medical, surgical or remedial treatment necessitating

further absence from work, if, in the opinion of the Commissioner, the treatment will

reduce the disablement from which the worker suffers; and any compensation for

permanent disablement payable to the worker shall be suspended while the worker is

entitled to periodical payments under this proviso.

50. If a worker-

(a) refuses or wilfully neglects to submit himself to medical examination or in any

way wilfully obstructs or unnecessarily delays such examination; or

(b) to the prejudice and without the consent of the employer, absents himself in such

a manner that any notice under this Act cannot be served upon him;

his right to periodical payments, or the continuance of such payments, shall automatically

be suspended during the period that the circumstances exist which gave rise to such

suspension, and no payments shall be payable by the Commissioner or an employer

individually liable in respect of the period of suspension: Suspension of right to

periodical payments

Provided that the Commissioner may, on good cause shown, condone the action of the

worker and make or order to be made, such payment or partial payment of a periodical

payment to the worker in respect of the period of suspension as in the circumstances he

deems just.

51. Save as is provided under this Act, there shall be no abatement of the amount of

compensation which the Commissioner or the employer individually liable has to pay

under this Act by reason of the fact that, in consequence of the accident causing

disablement or death, money has become due to the worker or his dependants under an

accident or life insurance policy effected by himself or by any other person. No

abatement of compensation if worker insured

52. An employer shall not, without the consent of the Commissioner, terminate his

contract of service with a workman who has suffered disablement in circumstances which

entitle him to compensation under the provisions of this Act until either-

(a) the worker has been certified by a medical practitioner to be fit to resume the

work for which he was employed at the time of the accident; or

(b) compensation for permanent disablement becomes payable to the worker under

the provisions of this Act. Contract of service not to be terminated during disablement

53. Notwithstanding any term, express or implied, in the contract under which a worker

is employed that the worker is required to do an entire work for an entire sum, the worker

shall, if he is disabled by an accident arising out of and in the course of his employment,

be entitled to payment from his employer of such part of the entire sum as bears the same

proportion to the entire sum as the work done up to the time of the disablement bears to

the entire work. Wages for work done

54. Where an employer, during the time a worker employed by him is disabled by

accident arising out of and in the course of his employment, pays to the worker his full

earnings, the worker shall not be entitled to any periodical payments and the employer

shall be entitled to be reimbursed from the Fund to the extent of the periodical payments

to which the worker would otherwise have been entitled: Periodical payments in lieu of

earnings

Provided that an employer shall not be entitled to be reimbursed as aforesaid if he is-

(i) an employer individually liable;

(ii) an employer who at the date of the accident was in default in complying with the

provisions of section one hundred and six;

(iii) an employer who at the date of the accident was in default in the payment of his

assessment.

PART VI

LIABILITY FOR COMPENSATION AND AMOUNT AND PAYMENT OF

COMPENSATION

55. Compensation shall be paid by either-

(a) the employer individually liable; or

(b) the Commissioner. Liability to pay compensation

56. (1) Compensation in the case of total disablement shall be made by periodical

payments during the period of disablement and shall be calculated at fifty per centum of

the assessed earnings of the worker. Amount of compensation for total disablement

(2) Periodical payment shall be made once a month:

Provided that, by agreement or by order of the Commissioner, such payments may be

made at shorter intervals than one month, subject in such case to a proportionate

reduction in the amount of such payments.

(3) (Repealed by 27 of 1994)

(As amended by Act No. 27 of 1994).

57. (1) Compensation in the case of partial disablement shall bear the same proportion

to the periodical payments prescribed in section fifty-six as the partial disablement bears

to total disablement. Amount of compensation for partial disablement

(2) Where a worker who has been receiving compensation for total disablement returns

to work with the employer for whom he was working at the time of the accident at a

lower rate of earnings than he was receiving at the time of the accident, such employer

shall forthwith notify the Commissioner of such fact and of the earnings at the time of the

accident and the present earnings of the worker.

(3) The provisions of sub-section (2) of section fifty-six shall apply in respect of

periodical payments for partial disablement.

(4) Subject to the provisions of section fifty-eight, periodical payments for partial

disablement shall not be made for more than eighteen months.

(As amended by Act No. 27 of 1994)

58. If as a result of an accident a worker has received periodical payments for total

disablement or partial disablement or total and partial disablement for a period of

eighteen months from the date of the commencement of the disablement, then at the end

of such period such worker shall no longer be entitled to periodical payments for total or

partial disablement and shall be deemed to have suffered permanent disablement unless

the contrary is proved, in which case the Commissioner may, in his discretion, direct the

continuance of periodical payments during the continuance of any such disablement for a

period not exceeding six months. Limit of time for periodical payments

59. (1) Compensation in the case of permanent disablement shall be according to the

degree of disablement, and shall be calculated as follows: Amount of compensation for

permanent disablement

(a) where the degree of disablement is one hundred per centum, a monthly pension

calculated at fifty per centum of the assessed earnings of the worker;

(b) where the degree of disablement is under one hundred per centum but exceeds ten

per centum, a monthly pension bearing the same proportion to the pension calculated in

accordance with paragraph (a) as the degree of such disablement bears to one hundred per

centum;

(c) where the degree of disablement does not exceed ten per centum, a lump sum so

calculated on such basis as the Ministry may prescribe:

Provided that in any case where the lump sum so calculated exceeds thirty-one

thousand kwacha, compensation shall not be payable as such a lump sum, but shall be

payable in accordance with paragraph (b), as though that paragraph applied to every

degree of disablement under one hundred per centum.

(2) Repealed by Act No. 27 of 1994).

(3) Where a worker has sustained an injury specified in the First Schedule, he shall be

regarded for the purposes of this Act as being permanently disabled at least to the degree

set out for such injury in the said Schedule.

(4) Where the injury (including any injury to genital parts) is not specified in the First

Schedule, a percentage of disablement which is not inconsistent with the provisions of

such Schedule shall be regarded as the minimum degree of permanent disablement for the

said injury.

(5) From any compensation payable under this section no deduction shall be made on

account of any periodical payments in respect of total or partial disablement under

section fifty-six or fifty-seven.

(6) In this section, "monthly pension" means a pension payable monthly during the

lifetime of the worker.

(As amended by No. 22 of 1965, No. 37 of 1969

and 27 of 1994)

60. Notwithstanding anything in this Act contained, if a worker who is in receipt of a

pension, after a period of eighteen months from the commencement of the disablement

had expired, undergoes further medical, surgical or remedial treatment necessitating

further absence from work and which, in the opinion of the Commissioner, will reduce

the disablement from which the worker suffers, the Commissioner may suspend the

entitlement to the pension and any children's allowances for such period as he considers

equitable and in lieu thereof the worker shall be entitled to payments calculated in the

same manner as periodical payments. Further medical aid while receiving pension

61. (1) Where a worker dies as a result of an accident, compensation shall be determined

as follows: Amount of compensation for death of worker

(a) if the worker leaves as a dependant a widow or invalid widower and no dependent

children, there shall be paid to such widow or invalid widower a monthly pension equal

to four-fifths of the monthly pension which the deceased worker had been receiving

under paragraph (a) of sub-section (1) of section fifty-nine, or would have received if he

had been entitled to a monthly pension under the said paragraph, in respect of such

accident;

(b) if the worker leaves as dependants a widow or invalid widower and one or more

children, there shall, subject to the provisions of sub-section (3) of section seventy-one,

be paid to such widow or invalid widower the monthly pension mentioned in paragraph

(a), and there shall be paid in the manner provided in sub-section (3) of section seventyone

in respect of such children a monthly allowance in accordance with the Third

Schedule based on the monthly pension which the deceased worker had been receiving

under paragraph (a) of sub-section (1) of section fifty-nine, or would have received if he

had been entitled to a monthly pension under the provisions of paragraph (a) of the said

sub-section (1) in respect of such accident;

(c) if the worker leaves no dependent spouse but one or more children as dependants,

or if the widow or invalid widower referred to in paragraph (b) dies leaving dependent

children of the worker, a monthly allowance in respect of the children shall be payable in

accordance with the Fourth Schedule based on the monthly pension which the deceased

worker had been receiving under paragraph (a) of sub-section (1) of section fifty-nine, or

would have received if he had been entitled to a monthly pension under the said

paragraph (a) in respect of the accident;

(d) if the worker leaves no dependants of any class referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or

(c), an amount not exceeding three years' earnings or thirty thousand kwacha whichever

is the less, shall be paid to any other dependant wholly dependent upon him;

(e) if the worker leaves no dependants of any class referred to in paragraph (a), (b),

(c) or (d), but leaves a dependant partly dependent upon him, a sum equal to three times

the amount or value of the benefits received by such dependant from the worker during

the twelve months immediately preceding the accident, or which could, but for the death,

have been reasonably expected to be received by such dependant from the worker during

the twelve months immediately succeeding the accident, whichever can better be

calculated to give the amount or value of the benefits:

Provided that the aggregate amount payable to dependants under this paragraph

shall not exceed three years' earnings or thirty thousand kwacha, whichever is the less;

(f) if the worker does not leave as a dependant a widow or invalid widower, but

leaves as dependants one or more children to whom an allowance is payable under

paragraph (c) and other dependants, and the total amount of the capitalised value of the

allowances likely to be payable under paragraph (c) will be less than three years' earnings

of the worker or thirty thousand kwacha, whichever is the less, then additional

compensation shall be payable not exceeding the likely excess of the three years' earnings

or thirty thousand kwacha, whichever is the less, over the total amount of the allowances

likely to be payable under paragraph (c) and such additional compensation shall be paid

to such other dependants in such proportions as the Commissioner may determine:

Provided that no dependant who was not wholly dependent upon the worker

shall be entitled to receive a greater payment than that to which he would have been

entitled under paragraph (e).

(2) The total compensation payable in respect of the death of a worker in accordance

with the provisions of paragraphs (d), (e) and (f) of sub-section (1) shall in no case

exceed thirty thousand kwacha or three years' earnings of the worker whichever is the

less.

(3) Save as is provided in section forty-four, no deduction shall be made from the

compensation awarded under this section in respect of any compensation awarded to the

worker for the same accident.

(4) The right to any pension or allowance in respect of a deceased worker shall vest on

the date of his death, and the amount of such pension or allowance shall be calculated

from such date.

(5) Where a worker dies as a result of an accident and the funeral expenses of such

worker have been or are to be paid by any dependant of such worker, there shall be paid

to such dependant the total amount of the funeral expenses or ten thousand kwacha

whichever is the less.

(As amended by No. 22 of 1965, No. 37 of 1969,

No. 19 of 1976 and 27 of 1994)

62. (1) If a worker who is in receipt of a pension under section fifty-nine, or who would

have been entitled to a pension under that section but for his death, dies not as the result

of the accident in respect of which he was receiving or would have been entitled to

receive such pension, the widow or invalid widower of such deceased worker, if married

to or living with such worker, as the case may be, at the time of the accident in respect of

which he was receiving a pension and dependent on him at the time of his death, shall be

paid a monthly pension equal to four-fifths of the monthly pension payable to the

deceased worker at the time of his death, plus a monthly allowance for any dependent

children of such deceased worker who were born or adopted before the time of such

accident, or born within ten months after the time of such accident, calculated in

accordance with the Third Schedule and based on the monthly pension payable to such

deceased worker at the time of his death. Compensation where worker in receipt of

pension dies

(2) If a worker who is in receipt of a pension under section fifty-nine, or who would have

been entitled to a pension under that section but for his death, dies not as the result of the

accident in respect of which he would have been entitled to such pension, and leaves no

widow or invalid widower entitled to a pension under sub-section (1), but leaves one or

more children, born or adopted before the time of such accident, or born within ten

months after the time of such accident, there shall be paid for the benefit of such child or

children a monthly allowance in accordance with the Fourth Schedule based on the

monthly pension that would have been payable to such deceased worker.

(3) If a widow or invalid widower who is in receipt of a pension under sub-section (1)

dies and leaves dependent children of the worker born or adopted before the time of the

accident or born within ten months after the time of the accident, there shall be paid for

the benefit of such children the allowances prescribed under sub-section (2).

(As amended by No. 22 of 1965, No. 37 of 1969

and No.. 27 of 1994)

63. If owing to age, marriage or death any child ceases to fall within the definition of

the term "child", the allowance for children prescribed in this Part shall, subject to the

provisions of section sixty-four, be diminished or cease accordingly. Diminution of

children's allowances

64. If, in the opinion of the Commissioner, any son or daughter of a deceased workman

or a pensioner who does not fall within the definition of the term "child" is unable by

reason of mental or physical disability to earn an income, or is attending a full-time

educational course, he shall, upon the application of any interested person, declare that

such son or daughter shall be deemed to be a child for the purpose of determining the

allowances for children under the provisions of this Part for so long as it might

reasonably have been expected that the worker would have continued to contribute

towards his or her support.

(As amended by No. 19 of 1976) Child over seventeen may continue to receive

allowances

65. (1) If any worker who is in receipt of a pension under this Act resides outside the

Commonwealth or such other states and territories as the Commissioner may from time

to time prescribe without the written permission of the Commissioner, or outstays the

period laid down in such permission, the worker shall at his own expense furnish such

proof of the continuance of the degree of disablement in respect of which compensation

was awarded and such other particulars as the Commissioner may require, and, if he fails

to do so, the Commissioner may discontinue, suspend, or reduce the pension.

Pensioner absent from or resident out of Commonwealth

(2) If a dependant of a worker resides outside the Commonwealth or such other states

and territories as the Commissioner may from time to time prescribe at the time of the

death of such worker and continues so to reside without the written permission of the

Commissioner, or if any such dependant is absent from the Commonwealth without the

written permission of the Commissioner, or outstays the period laid down in any such

permission, the Commissioner may, in his discretion, in lieu of any pension payable to

such dependant under this Act, award a lump sum of such amount as he may deem

equitable in the circumstances.

(As amended by S.I. No. 156 of 1965)

66. (1) If a widow or invalid widower who is receiving a pension under the provisions

of this Act as a dependant marries, the pension payable to her or him shall cease with

effect from the date of her or his marriage: Pension to cease on remarriage and gratuity

to be payable on the remarriage of a widow

Provided that any allowance payable in respect of children of the deceased worker to

whom such widow or widower was married shall continue to be payable.

(2) Where the pension payable to a widow ceases by virtue of the provisions of subsection

(1), there shall be paid to her an amount equal to twenty-four times the amount of

her monthly pension.

66A. (1) On the death of a pensioner, his widow or her widower shall, within one month

of such death notify the Commissioner thereof. Commissioner to be informed of

death of pensioner, etc.

(2) If a widow or widower who receives or is entitled to receive a pension in respect of

the death of her husband or wife marries, such widow or widower shall, within one

month of the date of such marriage, notify the Commissioner thereof.

(3) Any person who receives an allowance in respect of any son, daughter or other child

of a deceased worker or of a pensioner shall, within fourteen days of the happening of

any of the following events, notify the Commissioner thereof:

(a) the death of such son, daughter or other child;

(b) the marriage of such son, daughter or other child;

(c) the cessation of the conditions in respect of which the Commissioner has made a

declaration under section sixty-four.

(4) Any person who fails to comply with this section shall be guilty of an offence.

(As amended by Act No. 19 of 1976)

67. (1) (a) For the purpose of this Act, the earnings of a worker shall be computed in

such manner as is best calculated to give the monthly rate at which such worker was

remunerated by his employer at the time of the accident concerned, disregarding

temporary absence from work during sickness, holiday, leave or unemployment. Such

earnings shall also include twelve and one half per centum of the worker's basic wages or

basic salary but shall not include any- Method of calculating earnings.

(i) remuneration of intermitten overtime;

(ii) casual payments of a non-recurrent nature;

(iii) sum paid by an employer to a worker to cover any special expenses incurred by the

worker on account of the nature of his work;

(iv) ex-gratia payments, whether made by the employer or other person,

(v) sum paid under any provident fund;

(vi) payment by way of pension;

(vii) special cash payment, other than normal leave pay made when the worker is going

on leave;

(viii) housing allowance or the cost of any food or quarters supplied by the employer; or

(ix) cost of living allowance.

(b) Any employer who supplies food or quarters or both food and quarters to a

worker is entitled to receive periodical payment and shall be entitled to be refunded by

the worker the cost, as determined by the Commissioner, of such food or quarters or food

and quarters; and the Commissioner may deduct from any moneys payable to the worker

an amount equal to such cost and pay such amount to the employer.

(As amended by Act No. 19 of 1976)

(2) Where a worker's remuneration is fixed at a rate calculated upon work performed or

is subject to fluctuation by reason of the terms or nature of the employment, his earnings

shall be taken to be his average monthly remuneration for similar work upon the same

terms of remuneration for as long a period as possible before the accident but not

exceeding twelve months.

(3) Where, by reason of the shortness of time during which a worker has been in the

employment of his employer, it is impracticable to arrive at a fair computation of his

average monthly earnings in such employment, the earnings shall be computed, if

possible, upon the basis of the amount which the worker earned at work on the same

terms of remuneration with another employer during the twelve months immediately

preceding the accident concerned or upon the basis of the amount which, during the

twelve months immediately preceding such accident, has been earned by other worker

with the worker's employer at similar employment on the same terms of remuneration or

would have been earned by the worker during such preceding twelve months had he been

so employed.

(4) Where a worker has entered into concurrent contracts of service with two or more

employers, and has worked under those contracts at one time for one employer and at

another time for another employer, his earnings shall be computed as if his earnings

under all such contracts were earnings in the employment of the employer for whom he

was working at the time of the accident.

(5) Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to prevent the computation of

earnings on a weekly basis, and, where earnings are so computed, the monthly earnings

shall be calculated as equal to four and one-third times the amount of such weekly

earnings.

(As amended by Act No. 19 of 1976)

68. Where a worker who has suffered permanent disablement was, at the date of the

accident concerned, under twenty-one years of age or was employed under a contract of

apprenticeship or learnership, the amount of his compensation for such permanent

disablement shall be based on the earnings which, had he not met with the accident, he

would, in the opinion of the Commissioner, probably have been receiving at the end of

three years after the accident, or as a journeyman or operator upon completion of his

apprenticeship or learnership, whichever calculation is more favorable to the worker.

Calculation of earnings of permanently disabled worker under twenty-one

69. (1) Where a pension under section fifty-nine does not exceed such amount as may be

prescribed, the Commissioner may, in his discretion, upon the application of the worker,

pay or order the payment of a lump sum in lieu of a portion or the whole of such pension.

Payment of lump sum in lieu of pension

(2) Where such pension exceeds the prescribed amount, the Commissioner may, in his

discretion, on the application of the worker, in lieu of a portion of such pension, pay or

order the payment of a lump sum not exceeding the maximum sum which, in the opinion

of the Commissioner, would have been payable under sub-section (1) had the pension not

exceeded the prescribed amount:

Provided that if the balance of the pension payable is less than three hundred kwacha per

month, the Commissioner may pay or order the payment of a lump sum in lieu of the

whole of such pension.

(3) Any lump sum under this section shall be calculated on a basis prescribed by the

Minister and payment thereof shall be subject to the control of the Commissioner as

provided in section seventy-one.

(4) Where the Commissioner pays or orders the payment of a lump sum in lieu of the

whole of a pension he may also, in his discretion, pay or order the payment of a lump

sum in lieu of any children's allowances which the Commissioner has, under the

provisions of sub-section (3) of section seventy-one, determined shall be paid to the

pensioner.

(As amended by No. 19 of 1976 and 27 of 1994)

70. (1) Where the injury in respect of which compensation is payable causes

disablement of such a nature that the worker is unable to perform the essential actions of

life, without the constant help of another person, the Commissioner may from time to

time in his discretion grant an allowance in addition to any other benefits under this Act,

or require an employer individually liable to pay such an allowance, towards the cost of

such help as may be required for a specified period. Worker requiring constant

attendance

(2) The Commissioner may in his discretion revise any order made under the provisions

of sub-section (1).

71. (1) Where compensation is payable in the form of a lump sum by an employer

individually liable, such sum shall, unless the Commissioner otherwise directs, be paid to

the Commissioner to be dealt with by him in the manner provided in this section and the

receipt of the Commissioner shall be a sufficient discharge in respect of the amount paid.

Control of payment of compensation

(2) Any compensation payable in the form of a lump sum to a worker or dependant may,

in the discretion of the Commissioner and for reasons deemed by him to be sufficient, be-

(a) paid to the worker or dependant in the form of a lump sum or in instalments, or to

or on behalf of persons dependent for maintenance on such worker or dependant;

(b) invested or applied from time to time, as the Commissioner may deem to be to the

advantage of the worker or dependant, or those dependent on either of them for

maintenance;

(c) paid to a trustee or other person to be used subject to such conditions as may be

imposed by the Commissioner;

(d) dealt with partly in one and partly in another or in more than one of the ways

mentioned in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c), as the Commissioner may determine.

(3) Any children's allowance payable under the provisions of this Act shall be paid to the

parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or such other person on behalf or for the benefit of

the child as the Commissioner may determine, and where a children's allowance is

payable in respect of both legitimate and illegitimate children, the Commissioner shall

determine how such allowance shall be apportioned.

(4) Where a worker dies leaving dependants and there remains unpaid to him any

amount due under the provisions of this Act, the provisions of section one hundred and

sixteen shall apply and the Commissioner shall distribute the amount concerned among

the dependants of such deceased worker, in such proportions as he may deem fit, and if

such worker dies otherwise than as a result of the accident concerned, the Commissioner

may pay the funeral expenses of the deceased worker from such unpaid amount.

(5) Where a dependant dies and there remains unpaid to him any amount due to such

dependant under the provisions of this Act, such amount shall not form part of the estate

of the deceased dependant, but shall be paid to the Commissioner for distribution or shall

be distributed by him amongst such other dependants in such proportions as he may deem

fit, and the Commissioner may pay the funeral expenses of the deceased dependant from

such unpaid amount, and, where there are no such dependants, any unpaid amount

remaining after the payment of the funeral expenses, if any, shall in the case of an amount

paid to him by an employer individually liable be repaid by the Commissioner to the

employer individually liable.

72. Where a pension or children's allowances are payable by an employer individually

liable, the payments shall be made-

(a) by such employer; or

(b) by agreement with the Commissioner, by the Commissioner from funds furnished

by such employer for this purpose. Where employer is liable to pay pension

73. In anticipation of the award of compensation, the Commissioner may, where, in his

opinion, the interest or pressing need of the worker or of a dependant warrants it, make an

advance not exceeding twenty thousand kwacha to or on behalf of the worker or a

dependant on such conditions as the Commissioner may determine:Advances against

compensation

Provided that any moneys so advanced shall be recovered, in such instalments and in

such manner as the Commissioner may decide, from any amounts awarded as

compensation to the worker or his dependants.

(As amended by Act No. 27 of 1994)

73A. With the consent of the Minister, the Board may, not more than once in each

calendar year, review any amount payable under this Part as pension or children's

allowance and may increase such amount so as to compensate fully or partly for the

increase in the cost of living according to the official cost of living index of the Republic.

(As amended by Act No. 19 of 1976) Review of pensions or allowances

PART VII

PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING COMPENSATION

74. (1) In order that compensation may be obtained under this Act-

(a) notice of an accident causing disablement or death of a worker shall be given by

or on behalf of the worker, or a dependant of such worker, as soon as reasonably possible

after the happening of the accident, to the employer; Notice of accident to be given

(b) save as is otherwise provided in this Act, a claim for compensation shall, in the

case of disablement, be lodged with the Commissioner or the employer individually

liable, within twelve months after the date of the accident or, in the case of death, within

twelve months after the date of the death:

Provided that where a worker has been receiving periodical payments, a claim for

compensation for permanent disablement in respect of the same accident shall be lodged

within twelve months after the date on which such periodical payments finally cease to be

payable.

(2) The provisions of paragraph (b) of sub-section (1) shall not be construed as enabling

a claim to be made for compensation in respect of a death which occurred more than

twelve months after an accident causing injury, if no claim for compensation has been

made by the worker within twelve months after the date of such accident.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section-

(a) failure to give such notice shall not bar the right to compensation if it be proved

that the employer had knowledge of the accident from any other source at or about the

time of the accident;

(b) failure to give such notice or to make a claim within the period of twelve months

mentioned in this section or any defect or inaccuracy therein shall not bar the right to

compensation if, in the opinion of the Commissioner-

(i) the Fund or the employer individually liable is not or would not be, if notice or an

amended notice were then given, seriously prejudiced by such failure, defect or

inaccuracy; or

(ii) such failure, defect or inaccuracy was occasioned by a mistake, absence from

Zambia, or other reasonable cause.

(4) No claim for compensation under this Act shall be considered unless it is lodged with

the employer individually liable or the Commissioner in the manner prescribed within

twelve months after the date of the accident or, in the case of death, within twelve months

after the death:

Provided that the provisions of paragraph (b) of sub-section (3) shall apply mutatis

mutandis to this sub-section.

75. (1) Every employer shall, within three days after having- Employer to give

notice of accident to Commissioner

(a) gained knowledge of the happening of an accident to a workman, report such

accident to the Commissioner in such form as may be prescribed; and

(b) received written notice of an accident to a worker, forward such written notice to

the Commissioner;

and any employer who fails without reasonable excuse to comply with the provisions of

this sub-section shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) A report made by an employer to the Commissioner under the provisions of subsection

(1) shall constitute a claim for compensation by the worker notwithstanding that it

may contain information which, if correct, would negative such claim.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-section (1), an employer may, if specially

authorised by the Commissioner, report accidents at such intervals and in such manner as

the Commissioner may approve.

(4) Every employer shall keep a register in such form as may be prescribed, or in such

other form as the Commissioner may, in any particular case, allow, in which he shall,

within three days of the happening of an accident, record the happening thereof.

(5) For the purposes of this section, "accident" includes any personal injury sustained by

a worker and damage to or destruction of any artificial aid used by him and reported by

him to his employer, if in making the report the worker alleges that such injury, damage

or destruction arose out of and in the course of his employment.

76. (1) A worker shall supply such further particulars of any accident and any injury to

such worker arising therefrom as his employer, whether individually liable or not, or the

Tribunal or the Commissioner, may require. Additional information to be supplied

(2) An employer shall supply such further particulars as the Tribunal or the

Commissioner may require of any accident to any worker, the injuries and earnings of

such worker and such other matters as are within the knowledge of the employer

concerning such worker and such accident.

(3) A worker or employer who fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be

guilty of an offence.

76A. (1) Where an employer is convicted of the contravention of sub-section (1) of

section seventy-five or sub-section (2) of section seventy-six, the court before which such

employer is convicted shall, on the application of the Commissioner and in addition to

imposing any penalty, enter judgment, and civil jurisdiction is hereby conferred upon it

for that purpose, in favour of the Commissioner for a sum equal to the loss sufferred by

the Board on account of such employer's default: Entry of judgment in favour of

Commissioner

Provided that such sum shall not exceed the full amount of the compensation payable on

account of the accident in respect of which such employer was in default.

(2) Any sum ordered by the court under sub-section (1) shall be recoverable by the

Commissioner as a civil debt.

(3) In this section "compensation", in the case of a continuing liability, includes any sum

determined by the commissioner as the capitalised value of the pension (whether or not a

lump sum is paid at any time in lieu of the whole or part of such pension), periodical

payment or allowance, as the case may be, which constitutes liability.

(As amended by Act No. 19 of 1976)

77. (1) A worker who claims compensation shall, when so required by the

Commissioner or employer individually liable, furnish a certificate from a medical

practitioner or dentist, according to the nature of the injury, showing the nature and extent

of the worker's injury or illness, whether or not he is fit for work and the reason for such

unfitness, if any, and the period of likely temporary disablement. Worker to furnish

medical certificates

(2) Where any such certificate is forwarded to an employer, he shall forthwith forward

such certificate to the Commissioner.

78. The Commissioner may at any time require any worker who has suffered any injury

to obtain and furnish to the Commissioner such medical reports concerning the condition

of, and the extent of the injury to, such worker, and any other matter as may be necessary

to enable the Commissioner to carry out his functions in respect of such worker, and any

fee payable for any such report shall be payable out of the Fund. Commissioner may

require medical reports

79. In the case of the death of a worker as a result of an accident or where any person

who is in receipt of compensation dies, the Commissioner may call for such evidence of

the death of such worker or person as he may require for the purposes of this Act.

Commissioner may call for evidence of death

80. (1) A worker who claims compensation or to whom compensation has been paid or

is payable shall, when so required by written notice given by his employer individually

liable or the Commissioner, and after reasonable notice, submit himself for examination

by a medical practitioner nominated by such employer or the Commissioner, as the case

may be, at the time and place notified, provided such time and place are reasonable, and

any necessary expenses incurred by the worker in complying with the provisions of this

section as determined by the Commissioner shall be paid by the employer or by the

Commissioner, as the case may be. Worker claiming compensation to submit to

medical examination

(2) In the event of a worker being, in the opinion of any medical practitioner, not in a fit

state to attend on the medical practitioner named in any notice given under sub-section

(1), such worker, or some person on his behalf, shall notify the employer or the

Commissioner, as the case may be, of the fact, and may require the medical practitioner

so named to attend on the worker at a reasonable time and place to be agreed upon.

(3) A worker shall be entitled, at his own expense, to have a medical practitioner

nominated by himself present at any examination made under the provisions of this

section.

81. Whenever it comes to the notice of the Commissioner that an accident has happened

to a worker which might result in a claim under this Act, the Commissioner shall(

a) make or cause to be made such inquiry or take or cause to be taken such other

steps as he may deem necessary to enable him to decide on any claim or question of

liability under this Act;

(b) at the request of an injured worker or of his employer, supply such information as

the Commissioner considers necessary to enable the worker or his employer to comply

with the requirements of this Act. Procedure upon information of accident

82. (1) Upon receipt of any claim for compensation the Commissioner shall, after

making or causing to be made such inquiries as he may deem necessary, determine such

claim in part or in whole as is appropriate at the time. Procedure on presentation of

claim

(2) Where it appears to the Commissioner from any certificate submitted to him that the

worker has suffered permanent disablement and that the worker's injury is static, the

Commissioner shall determine the degree of disablement of such worker in relation to all

the circumstances of the case.

(3) The Commissioner shall, as soon as he has made a determination under the

provisions of this section, by notice in writing, inform the claimant and the employer

individually liable, if such employer is concerned, of the result of the determination.

83. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the Commissioner may authorise

an employer individually liable, subject to such conditions as the Commissioner may

determine, to make provisional settlements of claims for compensation with a worker:

Provisional settlement of claim by employer individually liable

Provided that such employer shall report such provisional settlements to the

Commissioner with such particulars and at such intervals as the Commissioner may

determine, and the Commissioner shall either confirm any such provisional settlement or

proceed to determine such claim in the manner provided in this Part as if such provisional

settlement had not been made.

84. (1) The Commissioner may require an employer, other than an employer

individually liable, to make periodical payments of compensation in cash or in kind or

both in cash and in kind to a disabled worker. Commissioner may require employer

to make periodical payments

(2) The Commissioner shall refund to an employer such periodical payments as the

employer has made to a worker under the provisions of sub-section (1):

Provided that, before making any refund in respect of payments in cash, the

Commissioner may require the transmission to him of a certificate, in the form

prescribed, of such payment.

PART VIII

MEDICAL AID

85. (1) An employer shall provide and maintain such appliances and services for the

rendering of first aid to his workers in case of any accident to them as may be prescribed

in respect of the trade or business in which he is engaged: First aid

Provided that this sub-section shall not apply in any case where appliances and services

for the rendering of first aid are provided and maintained in accordance with the

provisions of any other law.

(2) Any employer who fails to comply with the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be

guilty of an offence.

86. (1) In the event of an accident happening to a worker in the course of his

employment which necessitates his removal to a hospital or his residence, the employer

of such worker shall forthwith provide the necessary conveyance therefor. Conveyance

of injured worker

(2) The Commissioner or the employer individually liable, as the case may be, shall

defray the reasonable expenses (as determined by the Commissioner) incurred by an

employer or any other person in complying with the provisions of sub-section (1).

(3) Any employer who fails to comply with the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be

guilty of an offence.

87. (1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Commissioner or an employer

individually liable, as the case may be, shall defray any expenses reasonably and

necessarily incurred by a worker as the result of an accident arising out of and in the

course of his employment in respect of the following matters, that is to say:

Medical aid expenses

(a) dental, medical, surgical or hospital treatment;

(b) skilled nursing services;

(c) the supply of medicines and surgical dressings;

(d) travelling and subsistence in connection with the worker's journey to and from

and treatment in a place either within or outside Zambia where he was directed by his

medical practitioner to go for treatment; or for the obtaining of any artificial limb or

apparatus referred to in paragraph (e);

(e) the supply, maintenance, repair and renewal of artificial limbs and apparatus

necessitated by the accident and the repair or replacement of artificial limbs or apparatus

used by a worker in the course of his employment and damaged or destroyed as the result

of an accident.

(2) The liability of the Commissioner or an employer individually liable, as the case may

be, shall be limited-

(a) in the case of the matters mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (d) inclusive of subsection

(1), to an amount not exceeding thirty thousand kwacha; and

(b) in the case of the matters mentioned in paragraph (e) of sub-section (1), to an

amount not exceeding twenty thousand kwacha:

Provided that if the Commissioner is satisfied on a medical certificate that the injury to

the worker was of a serious nature, the Commissioner may determine that such additional

amount as he considers just in the circumstances shall be paid by him or the employer

individually liable, as the case may be.

(3) The Commissioner or an employer individually liable shall only be liable in respect

of travelling and subsistence expenses in connection with a worker's journey to and from

and treatment in a place outside Zambia if the Commissioner has approved of such

journey.

(4) For the purposes of this section, hospital treatment shall include the maintenance of a

worker detained in hospital.

(As amended by No. 19 of 1976 and No. 27 of 1994)

88. All disputes as to liability for or the necessity for or the character or sufficiency of

any medical aid provided or to be provided under this Part shall be determined by the

Commissioner. Decisions of Commissioner in regard to medical aid

89. The fees and charges for medical aid to workers shall be in accordance with such

scale as the Minister may prescribe after consultation with such associations or bodies

representing medical practitioners or dentists entitled to practise in Zambia as the

Minister may think fit, and no claim for an amount in excess of a fee in accordance with

that scale shall lie against any worker, the Commissioner or an employer individually

liable in respect of any such medical aid.

(As amended by No. 37 of 1969) Power to prescribe fees for medical aid

90. (Repealed by No. 19 of 1976)

PART IX

DISEASES

91. (1) Where a medical practitioner grants a certificate- Compensation in respect of

diseases

(a) that a worker is suffering from a scheduled disease causing disablement or that

the death of a worker was caused by a scheduled disease; and

(b) that such disease was due to the nature of the worker's employment;

the worker or, if he is deceased, his dependants shall be entitled to claim compensation

under this Act as if such disablement or death had been caused by an accident and the

provisions of this Act shall, subject to the provisions of this Part, mutatis mutandis, apply

unless at the time of entering into the employment the worker wilfully and falsely

represented in writing in reply to a specific question that he had not previously suffered

from the disease:

Provided that-

(i) where the worker was not, at the date of the disablement or death, employed in

the occupation to the nature of which the disease is due, the earnings of the worker shall

be calculated on the basis of his earnings when he was last employed in such occupation;

and

(ii) in no case shall the worker or his dependants be entitled to compensation in

respect of any causation or aggravation of the disease which was due to employment

outside Zambia except in the case of a worker ordinarily resident in Zambia employed

outside Zambia by his employer within Zambia.

(2) If the Commissioner is satisfied that the allegations in a certificate mentioned in subsection

(1) are correct, the worker or his dependants, as the case may be, shall be entitled

to compensation under this Act, as if the contracting of the disease were an injury by

accident arising out of and in the course of the worker's employment.

92. Where any of the provisions of this Act relating to an accident are applied to

disablement or death of a worker caused by a scheduled disease, an accident shall be

deemed to have happened-

(a) in the case of a scheduled disease causing disablement, on the date of the

certificate mentioned in section ninety-one;

(b) in the case of death from such disease, on the date of the death of the worker.

Fixing date of accident

93. If a worker who becomes disabled by or dies of any scheduled disease was, within

the period of twenty-four months immediately preceding the disablement or death,

employed in any occupation mentioned in the Second Schedule opposite such disease, it

shall be presumed, unless or until the contrary is proved, that the disease was due to the

nature of such employment. Presumption as to cause of disease

94. The Minister may, by regulation-

(a) amend the description of work in the Second Schedule;

(b) add to the Second Schedule the description of further diseases and, in relation to

those further diseases, the description of the work for the purposes of section ninetythree.

Minister may amend Second Schedule

95. (1) In relation to pneumoconiosis to which this section applies, the provisions of this

section shall prevail over any other provisions of this Act, but such provisions of this Act

as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section shall apply to pneumoconiosis.

Special provisions in respect of pneumoconiosis

(2) This section shall apply only in relation to pneumoconiosis in respect of which

compensation is not payable under the provisions of the Pneumoconiosis Act. Cap.

217

(3) Where any person has contracted pneumoconiosis in respect of which he is not

entitled to compensation under the provisions of this Part and thereafter works in an

occupation which may give rise to pneumoconiosis owing to the presence of dust, he

shall not be entitled to any compensation under this Act for or by reason of or on account

of any work in such occupation.

(4) Any person who has worked or is working in an occupation which, in his opinion,

may give rise to pneumoconiosis owing to the presence of dust, and who considers that

he is disabled by pneumoconiosis as a result of such work, may apply in person or in

writing to the Bureau for an examination to determine whether or not he is suffering from

pneumoconiosis and any disablement caused by such pneumoconiosis so as to entitle him

to compensation under this Act.

(5) Any person applying for an examination under the provisions of this section shall

deliver to the Bureau full and correct particulars of all work performed by him, and on

receipt of such particulars the Director, or any person authorised by him in that behalf,

shall, if he is of the opinion that the applicant is working or has worked in an occupation

which may give rise to pneumoconiosis, notify him of a time and place at which he may

present himself for examination.

(6) On presenting himself for examination at the time and place specified under subsection

(5), and on payment of a fee of twenty fee units the applicant shall be clinically

and radiologically examined:

Provided that the fee of twenty fee units shall not be payable if the applicant produces

before the examination a medical certificate to the effect that the examination is

desirable.

(7) After an examination under the provisions of this section, the Director shall provide

the person examined, or cause him to be provided, with a certificate stating whether such

person is or is not suffering from pneumoconiosis, and, if he or she is so suffering,

whether or not such pneumoconiosis results in his or her disablement.

(8) The Director shall, when required by the Commissioner or the Tribunal so to do, and

on consideration of all the evidence in his possession, whether submitted to him by the

Commissioner or the Tribunal or otherwise, certify-

(a) the amount, expressed as a percentage, of disablement suffered by a claimant by

reason of pneumoconiosis;

(b) the proportion of pneumoconiosis suffered by the claimant which is attributable to

work entitling such claimant to compensation under the provisions of this Act.

(9) A certificate issued under the provisions of this section shall be accepted by the

Commissioner or by the Tribunal, as the case may be, as prima facie evidence of the facts

therein certified.

(10) If the claimant is entitled to compensation for pneumoconiosis under this Act, the

fee of twenty fee units paid by him for the examination shall be refunded to him by the

Commissioner or the employer individually liable, as the case may be.

(11) For the purposes of this section-

"Bureau" means the Pneumoconiosis Medical and Research Bureau established under the

provisions of the Pneumoconiosis Act;

"Director" means the Director of the Bureau.

(As amended by No. 27 of 1994 and Act No. 13 of 1994) Cap. 217

96. In the case of an employer individually liable, compensation in respect of a

scheduled disease shall be paid by the employer who last employed the worker in the

occupation to the nature of which the disease is due: Liability to pay compensation

Provided that, if the Commissioner is satisfied that the worker contracted the disease

while in the employment of any previous employer or that the disease was partly

attributable to such employment, he may, after due notice to that employer, direct that the

compensation, or such part thereof as he deems equitable, shall be paid by such employer

if he is individually liable, or out of the Fund, as the case may be.

PART X

COMPENSATION FUND

97. (1) There shall, on the commencement of this Act, be established and maintained a

fund to be known as the Worker's Compensation Fund which shall be vested in the

Board. Establishment of Fund

(2) The Fund shall consist of-

(a) the assessments paid by employers under this Act;

(b) any moneys paid by employers to the Commissioner under this Act;

(c) any moneys paid as penalties imposed under this Act, other than penalties

imposed by a court of law;

(d) interest from investments of the Fund;

(e) any moneys transferred under the provisions of paragraph (c) of section one

hundred and twenty-three;

(f) any moneys paid to the Board under the provisions of section ninety-nine;

(g) any payments made to the Commissioner by employers individually liable under

the provisions of this Part;

(h) any other sums to which the Fund may become entitled.

98. (1) The moneys of the Fund shall be applied by the Commissioner for the purposes

of this Act and in payment of the expenses of the due administration thereof.

Application of Fund

(2) Any surplus in the Fund may, with the approval of the Minister after consultation

with the Minister responsible for finance, be applied by the Board in the reduction of

future assessments or may be transferred to reserves or may be allowed to remain in the

Fund, and any deficiency in the Fund may be made good by an increase in the amount of

any future assessment.

(3) There may be established within the Fund such reserve funds as the Board, with the

approval of the Minister after consultation with the Minister responsible for finance,

considers necessary for the purposes of this Act.

99. (1) Save as is provided in sub-section (2), the obligations and liabilities of any

insurer under any contract of insurance made in pursuance of sub-section (1) of section

ninety of the *Act repealed by this Act shall remain in full force.

*See section 127 of this Act. Provisions relating to the liability of insurers and certain

employers

(2) Any insurer may, with the approval of the Board, pay to the Board the capitalised

value of any pension, or children's allowance, as determined by the Board in respect of

which he is liable to indemnify the employer of a worker under a contract of insurance

made in pursuance of sub-section (1) of section ninety of the *Act repealed by this Act

and, upon such payment, the obligations of the insurer under such contract and the

obligations of the employer under the *Act repealed by this Act, other than any

obligation arising out of an arrangement made by the employer for furnishing medical aid

to his workers under section seventy-two of the repealed Act, shall cease and be

transferred to the Board.

*See section 127 of this Act. *See section 127 of this Act.

(3) Any employer to whom an exemption was granted by the Governor of the former

Protectorate of Northern Rhodesia, in the exercise of the powers conferred upon him by

sub-section (2) of section ninety of the *Act repealed by this Act, from the operation of

sub-section (1) of that section and whose exemption was in force immediately before the

commencement of this Act (hereinafter in this section referred to as an exempted

employer) may, with the approval of the Board, pay to the Board the capitalised value of

any pension or children's allowance as determined by the Board which he is liable to pay

to any worker or to the dependants of any worker and, upon such payment, the

obligations of that employer under the *Act repealed by this Act shall cease and be

transferred to the Board.

*See section 127 of this Act. *See section 127 of this Act.

(4) Any insurer or exempted employer who has not transferred the obligations referred to

in sub-section (2) or (3) to the Board in accordance with the provisions of those subsections

shall-

(a) furnish to the Commissioner such information as the Commissioner may, from

time to time, require in relation to the compensation paid by such insurer or exempted

employer;

(b) pay to the Board such amount as may be prescribed not exceeding one per centum

of the compensation including medical aid paid by such insurer or exempted employer

within the period of twelve months ending on-

(i) the 31st March, 1965; and

(ii) the 31st March in every succeeding year.

*See section 127 of this Act.

Any payments required to be made in terms of paragraph (b) shall be made in the case of

payments referred to in sub-paragraph (i) not later than the 1st June, 1965, and in the case

of payments referred to in sub-paragraph (ii) not later than the 1st June in every

succeeding year:

Provided that in any particular case the Board may on good cause shown extend the time

within which the aforesaid payments shall be made.

(As amended by No. 22 of 1965)

100. (1) Where under the provisions of the *Act repealed by this Act a worker has

become entitled to compensation from an employer who was required by the repealed

Act to be insured, but who was not so insured, and from whom no or insufficient

compensation has been recovered by the Commissioner, the Commissioner may, with the

approval of the Minister and the Board and notwithstanding anything to the contrary

contained in this Act, pay to such worker from the Fund the amount of such

compensation or, where insufficient compensation has been recovered, the amount by

which such compensation is deficient.

*See section 127 of this Act. Payment of compensation by Commissioner in respect of

accidents arising under repealed Act

(2) Any sum paid by the Commissioner to a worker under the provisions of sub-section

(1) shall be a debt due to the Fund by the employer of such worker and may be recovered

from such employer by the Commissioner as a civil debt.

(No. 22 of 1965)

101. The Board may-

(a) with the approval of the Minister responsible for finance, borrow money for all or

any of the purposes of this Act, or in order to meet any unforeseen contingency or

expenditure incurred in connection with the administration of this Act, or to meet any

liquid deficiencies in the Fund;

(b) with the approval of the Minister, purchase or otherwise acquire property required

wholly or partly for the purposes of this Act and alienate any property so acquired, and

properties so acquired shall be held in the name of the Board in trust for the Fund;

(c) with the approval of the Minister responsible for finance, pledge such portion of

the assets of the Board as may be necessary to provide security for loans received. Powers

of Board

102. (1) All moneys received by the Board or by the Commissioner on behalf of the

Fund shall be paid into a banking account and no money shall be withdrawn therefrom

except by means of cheques signed by such person or persons as may be authorised by

the Board in that behalf.

*See section 127 of this Act. Holding of assets of Fund

(2) A proportion of the Fund shall be held in liquid form and such proportion may be

determined and varied from time to time by the Board, having regard to the due execution

of the provisions of this Act, and such liquid portion of the Fund may be held in the

banking account or on deposit with banks or registered building societies or in Treasury

bills of the Government.

(3) The Board shall hold the remainder of the Fund in investments approved, either

generally or specially, by the Minister responsible for finance.

103. (1) The Commissioner shall cause to be kept proper books of account, and other

books and records in relation thereto, in which shall be recorded all the financial

transactions of the Fund. Accounts and audit

(2) The accounts of the Fund shall be audited by such person as the Board, with the

approval of the Minister, may appoint.

(3) Such auditor as shall be appointed by the Minister responsible for finance shall at all

times have the right to inspect the accounts of the Fund on behalf of that Minister.

(4) The Minister shall, as soon as possible after the completion and auditing of the

balance sheet and statements of the transactions of the Fund under this Act, lay copies

thereof before the National Assembly.

(As amended by G.N. No. 176 of 1964)

PART XI

ASSESSMENTS

104. Every employer, other than-

(a) the State; and

(b) any employer exempted by the Minister under the provisions of section one

hundred and five during the period of such exemption;

shall be liable to assessment under this Part.

(As amended by S.I. No. 156 of 1965) Liability to assessment

105. (1) The Minister may, by writing under his hand, exempt from the payment of

assessments for such period and subject to such conditions as he may specify, any

employer who proves to the Minister's satisfaction that he has established and made

provision for the maintenance of a fund for insurance against any liability which may

arise under this Act in respect of all workers employed by him, and who has deposited

with the Board sufficient security to meet all claims for compensation which may be due

or become due under the provisions of this Act: Exemption

Provided that the Minister may, after consultation with the Minister responsible for

finance, dispense with the obligation of depositing such securities in the case of any body

incorporated directly by any law.

(2) Any employer to whom exemption was granted under the provisions of the *Act

repealed by this Act, and whose exemption was in force immediately before the

commencement of this Act shall be deemed to have been exempted under the provisions

of sub-section (1).

*See section 127 of this Act.

(3) The Board may, upon the application of an employer referred to in this section,

permit such employer to pay assessments in respect of his workers, and any such

employer shall, from a date to be fixed by the Board, cease to be individually liable to

pay compensation except in respect of accidents which occurred before such date.

(As amended by No. 37 of 1969)

106. (1) Subject to the provisions of section one hundred and nine, every employer

liable to assessment shall, before a date prescribed by the Minister in each year, or if the

employer becomes liable to be assessed after that date, within fourteen days after having

become so liable, transmit to the Commissioner a statement in the prescribed form,

certified by him as true, showing- Employers to submit information

(a) the amount of earnings of each of his workers during the past financial year;

(b) an estimate of the earnings for which he expects to become liable during the

current financial year; and

(c) such other information as may be prescribed, or as the Board may require from

him, in respect of his workers or their earnings:

Provided that in any particular case the Commissioner may on good cause shown extend

the time within which the aforesaid statement shall be transmitted to him.

(2) Where an employer carries on a business in more than one place or carries on more

than one class of business, the Board may require from him a separate statement in

respect of each such place or class of business.

(3) If in any statement submitted under the provisions of sub-section (1), the amount of

earnings alleged to have been due and paid during any period is less than the amount

actually due and paid, the Board may impose upon the employer who transmitted such

statement, as a penalty, such proportion, not exceeding ten per centum, of the difference

between the amount stated and the correct amount, as the Board may determine.

*See section 127 of this Act.

(4) If in any statement submitted under the provisions of paragraph (b) of sub-section

(1), the estimate of earnings for which the employer expects to become liable during any

period is, in the opinion of the Board, too low, the Board may direct the Commissioner to

estimate the earnings for which the employer will probably become liable during that

period and inform the employer of such estimate.

(5) An employer who fails to comply with the provisions of this section or with any

requirement of the Board under sub-section (2) shall be guilty of an offence.

(6) Any employer aggrieved by the imposition of a penalty under the provisions of subsection

(3) may, within twenty-one days of such imposition or within such longer period

as the Tribunal may on good cause shown allow, appeal to the Tribunal.

(As amended by No. 4 of 1966)

107. (1) The Commissioner shall, as soon as practicable after receipt of the statement

referred to in section one hundred and six, assess the employer concerned on the basis of

the rates fixed under the provisions of sub-section (2) and shall give notice to the

employer of such assessment and of the date on or before which such assessment shall be

paid. Assessments on employers

(2) (a) Save as is otherwise provided under this Act, the rates of assessment payable by

any employer or class of employers shall be fixed from time to time by the Board in its

discretion according to the estimated requirements of the Fund and to the risk and costs

of compensation payable, and the Board may direct that a minimum assessment may be

levied on any employer.

(b) The Board shall cause notice of the rate of assessment fixed by it under paragraph

(a) to be published in the Gazette.

(c) Any employer who objects to the rates of assessment fixed may, within thirty

days of their publication, make representations in writing to the Minister stating his

objections.

(d) After considering any such objections as aforesaid, the *Minister may confirm,

amend or vary such rates of assessment.

*See S.I. No. 222 of 1969.

(3) The rates of assessment fixed in accordance with sub-section (2) shall not have effect

unless and until the Minister has confirmed, amended or varied them as aforesaid and the

rates of assessment as so confirmed, amended or varied have been published in the

Gazette and, unless the Board otherwise specifies, shall apply to assessments in respect of

earnings for the financial year in which they are so published.

*See S.I. No. 222 of 1969.

(4) In estimating the rates of assessment deemed to be necessary for the requirements of

the Fund, the Board shall make provision for the capitalised values of pensions and other

liabilities due or likely to become due in respect of accidents during the year of

assessment.

(5) For the purpose of assessment, earnings shall be determined in such manner as may

from time to time be prescribed.

(6) When the earnings actually paid by an employer during any period have been

ascertained, the assessment in respect of that period shall be adjusted accordingly.

(7) If the annual assessment is less than the adjusted assessment, the employer shall pay

the difference when called upon to do so, and if the annual assessment is more than the

adjusted assessment, the Commissioner shall refund the difference to the employer or

credit him therewith in respect of his following annual assessment.

(8) If an employer has failed to transmit before the prescribed date, a statement of wages

and earnings as required by section one hundred and six in respect of any period, the

Commissioner may estimate the amount of wages paid or payable by such employer and

earnings for which such employer will probably become liable and assess him

accordingly:

Provided that if it is subsequently ascertained that the amount assessed would have been

greater had the employer transmitted the statement before the prescribed date, the

employer shall pay to the Commissioner the difference between the amount assessed and

the amount which would have been assessed had the statement been available.

(9) If an employer liable to assessment who, in respect of any period, has transmitted to

the Commissioner the statement referred to in sub-section (1) of section one hundred and

six has not been assessed in respect of that period, he shall nevertheless be liable at any

time thereafter to be assessed.

(10) An employer shall pay his assessment on or before the date specified in the notice

of assessment:

Provided that the Commissioner may, on the application of the employer, agree to accept

payment by instalments on such conditions as he may specify, and where payment is

made by instalments, the instalments shall be paid at the times specified by the

Commissioner.

108. (1) If, during any period, the claims and accident experience of an employer are, in

the opinion of the Board, more favourable than the claims and accident experience of

employers in his class of business, the Board may, in its discretion, award such employer

as a bonus a special rebate on any assessment payable or paid by him. Assessment

variations

(2) If, during any period, the claims and accident experience of an employer are, in the

opinion of the Board, less favourable than the claims and accident experience of

employers in his class of business, the Board may, in its discretion, assess such employer

at a higher rate than that fixed under section one hundred and seven.

109. (1) This section shall apply to every employer who employs one or more than one

private domestic servant whose earnings do not in the aggregate exceed sixty thousand

kwacha a year. Assessment of employers of private domestic servants whose aggregate

earnings do not exceed K60,000 per annum

(2) The rate of assessment payable by every employer to whom this section applies in

respect of private domestic servants employed by him shall be such sum as the Minister

may, after consultation with and acting on the advice of the Board, prescribe.

(3) The assessment payable under this section by an employer to whom this section

applies shall become due and payable by him on the 30th April in each year, or, if the

employer becomes liable to assessment on a later date, within a period of not more than

thirty days from such later date.

(4) The provisions of sections one hundred and six, one hundred and seven and one

hundred and eight shall not apply to any employer to whom this section applies in

relation to any private domestic servant employed by him.

(5) The Minister may, by statutory instrument, make regulations prescribing-

(a) the rate of assessment payable under this section;

(b) the procedure to be followed and the form to be used in connection with the

payment of such assessment.

(As amended by No. 4 of 1966 and No. 27 of 1994)

110. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, an employer individually liable

shall, subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), pay annually to the Commissioner in

such manner and at such time as the Commissioner may determine and notify to him,

such contributions towards the expenses incurred by the Commissioner in the

administration of this Act as the Board may deem equitable. Contributions by

employers individually liable

(2) Any employer aggrieved by-

(a) his liability to pay contributions;

(b) the amount of contributions payable by him; or

(c) the manner or time of payment of contributions;

may, within thirty days of the notification to him of the manner and time of payment,

appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

PART XII

MISCELLANEOUS

111. (1) Every employer carrying on business in Zambia shall, within fourteen days of

the commencement of this Act, or of the date on which he commences business,

whichever date is the later, in the prescribed manner, furnish the Commissioner with the

prescribed particulars of his business, and thereafter, within such period as may be fixed

by the Commissioner, with such additional particulars as the Commissioner may from

time to time require. Employers to supply particulars of business

(2) The particulars required by sub-section (1) shall be furnished separately in respect of

each business conducted by the employer, and every such employer shall inform the

Commissioner of any change in such particulars within fourteen days of such change.

(3) The chief representative present in Zambia of any non-resident employer(

a) shall, within fourteen days after the date of commencement or after the date on

which such employer commences business in Zambia, whichever is the later, notify to the

Commissioner in writing the following particulars:

i(i) the name and address of such chief representative; and

(ii) the address of the chief office or place of business of such employer in Zambia;

and

(b) shall, in the same manner, notify any change in such particulars within fourteen

days after such change; and

(c) shall, for all the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be the employer of all workers

employed within Zambia by such non-resident employer.

(4) For the purposes of sub-section (3), "non-resident employer" means any person who

is not resident or, in the case of a company or other body of persons, whose registered

office is not situate in Zambia, and who carries on any business in connection with which

any worker is employed in Zambia.

(5) Any person who fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be guilty of

an offence.

(6) Where under the provisions of this section the Commissioner is to be furnished with,

informed or notified of any particulars within a fixed time, the Commissioner in any

particular case may on good cause shown extend the time so fixed.

112. (1) Every employer shall in respect of all his workers keep records of wages paid,

time worked and payment made for piece-work and overtime and of any other particulars

prescribed, and he shall at all reasonable times produce such records for inspection on

demand by any person authorised thereto under this Act. Employers to keep records

(2) An employer who fails to comply with the provisions of sub-section (1) or who

knowingly makes a false entry in such records shall be guilty of an offence.

113. Any person who by threat or in any other manner whatever compels or attempts to

compel any worker to do or omit to do any act, the doing or omission of which deprives

or is intended to deprive him or his dependants of any right to compensation, shall be

guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred penalty

units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or to both.

(As amended by Act No. 27 of 1994 and Act No. 13 of 1994) Threats and

compulsion

114. Any person who, in a claim for compensation under this Act, or in any notice,

report or statement required to be given, made or furnished under the provisions of this

Act, knowingly makes or causes to be made a statement which is false in a material

particular shall be guilty of an offence. False statements

115. (1) If an assessment or any instalment thereof is not fully paid by an employer at

the time when it becomes payable, the defaulting employer shall be liable to pay, in

addition to such assessment or instalment thereof, as a penalty for his default such

percentage, not exceeding ten per centum per annum, of the amount unpaid as the

Commissioner may determine: Failure to pay assessments, etc.

Provided that the Commissioner, if satisfied that the default was due to inadvertence or to

some other cause over which the employer had no control, may waive the provisions of

this sub-section in whole or in part or accept payment as the Commissioner may

determine.

(2) Any employer who fails to pay his assessment or to render within the prescribed

period the returns referred to in section one hundred and six shall, in addition to any other

penalty, pay to the Commissioner a penalty, as determined by the Commissioner, not

exceeding the full amount of the compensation payable in respect of any accident to a

worker in his employment during the period of such default:

Provided that the Commissioner, if satisfied that the default was due to inadvertence or to

some cause over which the employer had no control, or that the payment of the full

amount of the capitalised value would be likely to result in the bankruptcy of such

employer or, where the employer is a company, the winding-up thereof, may waive the

provisions of this sub-section in whole or in part or accept payment in instalments or

otherwise as the Commissioner may determine.

(3) Any employer who fails to pay any assessment or any penalty imposed by, or other

payment due to, the Commissioner under the provisions of this Act shall be guilty of an

offence.

(4) Whenever an employer fails to pay to the Commissioner any money due, the

Commissioner may recover such money from such employer as a civil debt.

(5) For the purposes of this section, "compensation" includes, in the case of a continuing

liability, also the capitalised value, as determined by the Commissioner, of the pension

(irrespective of whether a lump sum is at any time paid in lieu of the whole or a portion

of such pension), periodical payment or allowance, as the case may be, which constitutes

the liability.

116. (1) Compensation recovered or recoverable in respect of the death of a worker shall

not form part of the deceased worker's estate for the purposes of the law relating to the

administration of estates or the law relating to estate duty. Compensation not to form

part of deceased worker's estate

(2) Where such compensation is payable by any person other than the Commissioner, it

shall, unless the Commissioner otherwise directs, be paid to the Commissioner.

(3) The provisions of section seventy-one shall, mutatis mutandis, apply in respect of any

compensation mentioned in sub-section (1).

117. If any benefits have been paid which were not due under the provisions of this

Act, the Commissioner may recover the amount of such benefits by civil action, or by

deduction from any benefits to which the worker or any dependant has or may become

entitled under this Act. Recovery of benefits paid in error

118. (1) In the event of an employer becoming bankrupt or, if the employer is a

company, in the event of the company having commenced to be wound up, the amount of

any assessment, penalty or other payment due to the Commissioner as compensation due

to any worker or his dependants, by such employer- Priority of payments

(a) at the date of the receiving order; or

(b) at the date of the commencement of the winding-up;

shall, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other law, be included in

the debts which under section three of the Preferential Claims in Bankruptcy Act are in

the distribution of the property of a bankrupt and in the distribution of the assets of a

company being wound up to be paid in priority to all other debts. Cap. 83

(2) When the compensation is in the form of a pension, children's allowance or

periodical payment, the amount thereof shall, for the purposes of this section, be taken to

be the capitalised value of such pension, allowance or payment as determined by the

Commissioner.

119. Compensation shall not-

(a) be capable of being assigned or charged;

(b) be attached by the order of any court;

(c) be set off against any debt by the person entitled to such compensation:

Compensation not to be assigned, etc.

Provided that the Commissioner or the employer individually liable, as the case may be,

may, out of any compensation payable to a worker, recover either wholly or partly any

amount which, with the approval of the Commissioner or of such employer, has, after the

occurrence of the accident in respect of which such compensation is payable, been

advanced to such worker subject to repayment out of such compensation.

120. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any law in force relating to stamp

duty, any affidavit, certificate, receipt or other document required or issued under any

provision of this Act shall be exempt from stamp duty. Stamp duty

121. (1) Every insurance company licensed under sub-section (1) of section ninety-one

of the *Act repealed by this Act shall, notwithstanding the repeal of the said Act, furnish

to the Commissioner, in the manner prescribed and on or before a specified date, the

prescribed particulars in regard to the employers insured with them immediately prior to

the date of commencement, and such other matters as may be prescribed.

*See section 127 of this Act. Insurance companies to furnish particulars of employers

(2) Failure to comply with the provisions of this section shall constitute an offence

punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand penalty units.

(As amended by Act No. 27 of 1994 and Act No.13 of 1994)

122. (1) Every record of a decision or award made by the Commissioner and every copy

of or extract from an entry in any book or record kept by the Commissioner, and of any

document filed with the Commissioner, purporting to be certified by the Commissioner to

be a true copy or extract, shall upon production be received in any court as prima facie

evidence of the matters so certified without proof of the Commissioner's signature.

Evidence

(2) In any proceedings under this Act, in any court, an affidavit purporting to be made by

the Commissioner, or by a person to whom powers have been delegated under subsection

(3) of section thirteen, in which it is stated-

*See section 127 of this Act.

(a) that any person or body of persons is an employer, principal, contractor, worker or

dependant under this Act; or

(b) that any person is or has been lawfully required under this Act to pay any amount

to the Commissioner, or to a worker or other person named in such affidavit; or

(c) that any amount referred to in paragraph (b) or any portion thereof had or had not

been paid on a date specified in such affidavit; or

(d) that any decision has been taken by the Commissioner or by such person in

pursuance of the powers so delegated to him, as the case may be;

shall, on its mere production in those proceedings by any person, but subject to the

provisions of sub-section (3), be prima facie proof of the facts stated therein.

(3) The person presiding over the proceedings in which any document or affidavit

referred to in sub-section (1) or (2) is adduced in evidence, may cause the Commissioner

or other person making the affidavit, as the case may be, to be summoned to give oral

evidence, or may cause written interrogatories to be submitted to him for reply and such

interrogatories and any reply on oath purporting to be a reply from such person shall in

like manner be admissible as evidence in such proceedings.

(As amended by No. 37 of 1969)

123. The President may, by statutory instrument, make rules for the purpose of giving

effect to any convention with a foreign state or with the government of any member of

the Commonwealth providing for reciprocity in matters relating to compensation to

workers for accidents causing disablement or death, and, without prejudice to the

generality of such power, such rules may contain provision-

(a) for determining in any case where a worker is entitled to compensation both under

this Act and under the law of any such country with which the convention is made, under

the law of which party to the convention such worker or his dependants shall be entitled

to recover compensation;

(b) for conferring on the Commissioner and the Tribunal powers for the admission of

evidence taken in any such country and the procuring and taking of evidence for use in

any such country or otherwise for the purpose of facilitating proceedings for the recovery

of compensation under the respective laws of any such country;

(c) whereby compensation awarded in any such country to persons resident or

becoming resident in Zambia may be transferred to and administered by the

Commissioner, and whereby compensation awarded under this Act to persons resident or

becoming resident in any such country may be transferred to and administered by a

competent authority in that country.

(As amended by G.N. No. 176 of 1964 and S.I. No. 156 of 1965) Reciprocal

arrangements

124. (1) Every employer, when so required by the Commissioner, shall cause to be

affixed and at all times to be kept affixed in a conspicuous place at any place where his

workers are employed a clearly printed summary, in such form and language as the

Commissioner may require, of the procedure laid down in this Act for the recovery of

compensation in the event of an accident. Summary of procedure for recovery of

compensation to be displayed by employer

(2) Any employer who fails to comply with the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be

guilty of an offence.

125. The Minister may, by statutory instrument, make regulations as to all or any of the

following matters:

(a) the procedure to be followed in connection with claims for compensation of

applications under this Act;

(b) the forms to be used in connection with such procedure or which may be used for

any other matter dealt with by this Act;

(c) the fees which may be charged by medical practitioners, dentists and technical

assessors in respect of anything done under or for the purposes of this Act;

(d) prescribing any matter which by this Act is required or permitted to be prescribed,

not being a matter which this Act provides shall be prescribed by a specific person;

and generally for the better carrying out of the objects and purposes of this Act.

Regulations

126. Any person guilty of an offence under this Act in respect of which no special

penalty is provided shall be liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand

penalty units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months, or to both.

(As amended by No. 27 of 1994 and Act No. 13 of 1994) Penalty

127. (1) The Workmen's Compensation Act, Chapter 188 of the 1961 Edition of the

Laws, is hereby repealed. Repeal and saving

(2) A claim for compensation in respect of-

(a) an accident which happened; or

(b) a scheduled disease in respect of which a death occurred or a certificate was

granted under the provisions of the Act hereby repealed;

before the commencement of this Act shall, except as is otherwise provided in section

seven of this Act, be dealt with under the Act hereby repealed as if this Act had not been

enacted, and the Commissioner appointed under the provisions of this Act shall be the

Commissioner for the purpose of dealing with any such claim or with any question

arising therefrom.

128. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the Board may, with the approval

of the Minister, enter into arrangement with the Zambia National Provident Fund Board

established under section five of the Zambia National Provident Fund Act, under which

any or all the functions of the Commissioner or the Board in relation to receipt and

disbursement of assessment, and pension or other benefit under this Act may be carried

out by the Director of the Zambia National Provident Fund Board as the agent of the

Board or the Commissioner, as the case may be.

(As amended by Act No. 19 of 1973). Arrangement with Zambia National

Provident Fund Board

Cap. 273

FIRST SCHEDULE

(Section 59)

MINIMUM DEGREES OF DISABLEMENT

Injury

Loss of two limbs . . . . . . . . . .

Loss of both hands or of all fingers and thumbs . . . . . .

Total paralysis . . . . . . . . . .

Injuries resulting in being bedridden permanently . . . . . .

Any other injury causing permanent total disablement . .

Loss of remaining arm by one-armed worker . . . . . .

Loss of remaining leg by one-legged worker. . . . . . . }

Minimum degree

of disablement

per centum

100

Loss of arm at shoulder . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Loss of arm between elbow and shoulder . . . . . . . . 68

Loss of arm at elbow . . . . . . . . . . 67

Loss of arm between wrist and elbow. . . . . . . . 60

Loss of hand at wrist . . . . . . . . . . 60

Loss of four fingers and thumb of one hand . . . . . . 60

Loss of four fingers . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Loss of thumb-both phalanges . . . . . . . . . . 25

one phalanx . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Loss of index finger-three phalanges . . . . . . . . 10

two phalanges . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

one phalanx . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Loss of middle finger-three phalanges . . . . . . . . 6

two phalanges . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

one phalanx . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Loss of ring finger-three phalanges . . . . . . . . . . 5

two phalanges . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

one phalanx .. . . . . . . . . . . 2

Loss of little finger-three phalanges . . . . . . . . 4

two phalanges . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

one phalanx . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Loss of metacarpals-first or second (additional) . . . . . . . . 3

third, fourth or fifth (additional) . . . . . . . . 2

Loss of leg-at hip joint . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

below hip with stump not exceeding 13 centimetres in length . . . . . .

70

below hip with stump exceeding 13 centimetres in length but

not beyond middle thigh . . . . . . . . . . 65

below middle thigh to 9 centimetres below knee . . . . . . . . 60

below knee with stump exceeding 9 centimetres but not

exceeding 13 centimetres . . . . . . . . . . 55

below knee with stump exceeding 13 centimetres . . . . . . 50

Loss of foot-result in end bearing stump . . . . . . . . 45

above the junction of the foot with the toes . . . . . . . . 40

Loss of toes-all . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

great, both phalanges . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

great, one phalanx . . . . . . . . . . 2

other than great, if more than one toe lost each . . . . . . . . 1

Loss of hearing-both ears . . . . . . . . . . 50

one ear . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Injury to eyes:

1. Total loss of sight . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

2. Loss of remaining eye by one-eyed worker . . . . . . . . 100

3. Loss of one eye, the other being normal . . . . . . . . 30

4. Total loss of vision of one eye, the other being normal . . . . . . 30

5. Other degrees of defective vision based on the visual defect as measured

after correction with glasses:

When best visual

acuity is in one

eye Other eye

6/6 or 6/9 . . . . 6/24 . . . . 15

6/6 or 6/9 . . . . 6/36 . . . . 20

6/6 or 6/9 . . . . 6/60 . . . . 20

6/6 or 6/9 . . . . 3/60 . . . . 20

6/12 . . . . nil . . . . 30

6/18 . . . . 6/18 . . . . 15

6/18 . . . . 6/24 . . . . 30

6/18 . . . . 6/36 . . . . 40

6/18 . . . . 6/60 . . . . 40

6/18 . . . . 3/60 . . . . 40

6/18 . . . . nil . . . . 50

6/24 . . . . 6/24 . . . . 30

6/24 . . . . 6/36 . . . . 40

6/24 . . . . 6/60 . . . . 50

6/24 . . . . 3/60 . . . . 50

6/24 . . . . nil . . . . 70

6/36 . . . . 6/36 . . . . 50

6/36 . . . . 6/60 . . . . 60

6/36 . . . . 3/60 . . . . 60

6/36 . . . . nil . . . . 70

6/60 . . . . 6/60 . . . . 80

6/60 . . . . 3/60 . . . . 80

6/60 . . . . nil . . . . 90

3/60 . . . . 3/60 . . . . 80

3/60 . . . . nil . . . . 90

nil . . . . nil . . . . 100

6. For the purposes of this Schedule, a one-eyed worker means a workman who has no

sight in one eye.

Loss of teeth:

1-2 .. .. .. .. .. 1

3 .. .. .. .. .. 11/2

4-5 .. .. .. .. .. 21/2

6 .. .. .. .. .. 3

7 .. .. .. .. .. 31/2

8 .. .. .. .. .. 4

Thereafter 1/4 per centum for every additional tooth up to a maximum of 10 per

centum for thirty-two teeth.

Total permanent loss of use of member shall be treated as loss of member.

The percentage of incapacity for ankylosis of any joint shall be reckoned as from 25 to

100 per centum of the incapacity for loss of the part at that joint, according to whether the

joint is ankylosed in a favourable or unfavourable position.

Where there is loss of two or more parts of the hand, the percentage of incapacity shall

not be more than for the whole hand.

Where there are two or more injuries, the sum of the percentages for such injuries may

be increased, and, where such injuries are to the hand, the following basis of computing

the increase shall be adopted, namely:

(a) where two digits have been injured, the sum total of the percentages shall be

increased by twenty per centum of such sum total;

(b) where three digits have been injured, the sum total of the percentages shall be

increased by thirty per centum of such sum total;

(c) where four digits have been injured, the sum total of the percentages shall be

increased by forty per centum of such sum total.

(As amended by No. 37 of 1969)

SECOND SCHEDULE

(Sections 2, 93 and 94)

SCHEDULED DISEASES

Description of Disease Description of Work

Poisoning by: Any occupation involving:

1. Lead or a compound of lead The use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes,

dust or vapour of, lead or a compound of lead, or a substance containing lead.

2. Manganese or a compound of The use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes,

dust or

manganese. vapour of, manganese or a compound of manganese, or a substance

containing manganese.

3. Phosphorus or phosphine or poisoning The use or handling of, or exposure to the

fumes, dust or

due to the anti-cholinesterase action vapour of, phosphorus or a compound of

phosphorus, or a

of organic phosphorus compounds. substance containing phosphorus.

4. Arsenic or a compound of arsenic. The use or handling of, or exposure to the

fumes, dust or vapour of, arsenic or a compound of arsenic, or a substance containing

arsenic.

5. Mercury or a compound of mercury. The use or handling of, or exposure to the

fumes, dust or vapour of, mercury or a compound of mercury, or a substance containing

mercury.

6. Carbon bisulphide The use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes or vapour

of, carbon bisulphide or a compound of carbon bisulphide, or a substance containing

carbon bisulphide.

7. Benzene or a homologue The use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes of,

or vapour containing, benzene or any of its homologues.

8. A nitro- or amino- or chloro-derivative The use or handling of, or exposure

to the fumes of, or

of benzene or of a homologue of vapour containing, a nitro- or amino- or

chloro-derivative of

benzene or poisoning by nitro- benzene or a homologue of benzene or

nitrochlorbenzene.

chlorbenzene.

9. Dinitrophenol or a homologue or by The use or handling of, or exposure to the

fumes of, or

substituted dinitrophenols or by the vapour containing, dinitrophenol or a

homologue or

salts of such substances. substituted dinitrophenols or the salts of such

substances.

10. Tetrachlorethane The use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes of, or

vapour containing, tetrachlorethane.

11. Tri-cresyl phosphate The use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes of, or

vapour containing, tri-cresylphosphate.

12. Tri-phenyl phosphate The use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes of, or

vapour containing, tri-phenyl phosphate.

13. Diethylene dioxide (dioxan). The use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes of,

or vapour containing, di-ethylene dioxide (dioxan).

14. Methyl bromide The use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes of, or

vapour containing, methyl bromide.

15. Chlorinated naphthalene The use or handling of, or exposure to the fumes of,

or dust or vapour containing, chlorinated naphthalene.

16. Nickel carbonyl Exposure to nickel carbonyl gas.

17. Nitrous fumes The use or handling of nitric acid or exposure to nitrous fumes.

18. Gonioma kamassi (African boxwood). The manipulation of gonioma kamassi or

any process in or incidental to the manufacture of articles therefrom.

19. Anthrax The handling of wool, hair, bristles, hides or skins or other animal

products or residues, or any work in connection with animals, animal carcasses or parts of

such carcasses, including the loading, unloading and transport of merchandise.

20. Glanders Contact with equine animals or their carcasses.

21. (a) Infection by leptospira Work in places which are, or are liable to

icterohaemorrhagiae. be, infested by rats.

(b) Infection by leptospira Work at dog kennels or the care or handling

canicola. of dogs.

22. (a) Ulceration of the corneal surface

of the eye.

(b) Localised new growth of the

skin, papillomatous or

keratotic. The use or handling of, or exposure to arsenic, tar, pitch,

(c) Squamous-celled carcinoma of bitumen, mineral oil (including paraffin),

soot or any

the skin, due in any case to compound, product, or residue of any of

these substances.

arsenic, tar, pitch, bitumen,

mineral oil (including

paraffin), soot or any

compound, product, or residue

of any of these substances.

23. Inflammation, ulceration or malignant Exposure to electro-magnetic

radiations other than radiant

disease of skin or subcutaneous heat, or to ionising particles.

tissues or of the bones, or blood

dyscrasia, or cataract, due to electromagnetic

radiations (other than

radiant heat), or to ionising

particles.

24. Heat cataract Frequent or prolonged exposure to rays from molten or red-hot

material.

25. Decompression sickness Subjection to compressed or rarefied air.

26. Cramp of the hand or forearm due to Prolonged periods of handwriting, typing or

other repetitive

repetitive movements. movements of the fingers, hand or arm.

27. Subcutaneous cellulitis of the hand Manual labour causing severe or prolonged

friction or

(beat hand). pressure on the hand.

28. Bursitis, or subcutaneous cellulitis Manual labour causing severe or prolonged

external friction

arising at or about the knee due or pressure at or about the knee.

to severe or prolonged external

friction or pressure at or about the

knee (beat knee).

29. Bursitis or subcutaneous cellulitis Manual labour causing severe or prolonged

external friction

arising at or about the elbow or pressure at or about the elbow.

due to severe or prolonged

external friction or pressure at

or about the elbow (beat elbow).

30. Traumatic inflammation of the Manual labour, or frequent or repeated

movements of the

tendons in the hand or forearm, hand or wrist.

or of the associated tendon sheaths.

31. Miner's nystagmus Work in or about a mine.

32. Poisoning by beryllium or a compound The use or handling of, or exposure

to the fumes, dust or

of beryllium vapour of, beryllium or a compound of beryllium, or a substance

containing beryllium.

33. (a) Carcinoma of the mucous Work in a factory where nickel is produced by

membrane of the nose or decomposition of a gaseous nickel compound which

associated air sinuses. necessitates working in or about a building where

that

(b) Primary carcinoma of a bronchus process or any other industrial process

ancillary or

or of a lung. incidental thereto is carried on.

34. Tuberculosis Close and frequent contact with a source or sources of tuberculosis

infection by reason of employment-

(a) in the medical treatment or nursing of a person or persons suffering

from tuberculosis, or in a service ancilliary to such treatment or nursing;

(b) in attendance upon a person or persons suffering from tuberculosis

where the need for such attendance arises by reason of physical or mental infirmity;

(c) as a research worker engaged in research in connection with

tuberculosis;

(d) as a laboratory worker, pathologist or post mortem worker, where the

occupation involves working with material which is a source of tuberculosis infection, or

in an occupation ancillary to such employment.

35. Primary neoplasm of the epithelial (a) Work in a building in which any of the

lining of the urinary bladder following substances is produced for

(papilloma of the bladder), or of commercial purposes:

the epithelial lining of the renal (i) alpha-naphthylamine or beta-naphthy

pelvis or of the epithelial lining of lamine;

the ureter. (ii) diphenyl substituted by at least one nitro or primary amino

group or by at least one nitro and primary amino group;

(iii) any of the substances mentioned in sub-paragraph (ii) if further

ring substituted by halogeno, methyl or methoxy groups, but not by other groups;

(iv) the salts of any of the substances mentioned in sub-paragraphs (i)

to (iii);

(v) auramine or magenta;

(b) the use or handling of any of the substances mentioned in subparagraphs

(i) to (iv) of paragraph (a), or work in a process in which any such substance

is used or handled or is liberated;

(c) the maintenance or cleaning of any plant or machinery used in any

such process as is mentioned in paragraph (b), or the cleaning of clothing used in any

such building as is mentioned in paragraph (a) if such clothing is cleaned within the

works of which the building forms a part or in a laundry maintained and used solely in

connection with such works.

36. Poisoning by cadmium Exposure to cadmium fumes.

37. Inflammation or ulceration of the Exposure to dust, liquid or vapour.

mucous membrane of the upper

respiratory passages or mouth

produced by dust, liquid or vapour.

38. Non-infective dermatitis of external Exposure to dust, liquid or vapour or any

other external

origin (including chrome ulceration agent capable of irritating the skin

(including friction

of the skin but excluding or heat but excluding ionising particles or electrodermatitis

due to ionising particles magnetic radiations other than radiant

magnetic heat).

or electro-magnetic radiations

other than radiant heat).

39. Pneumoconiosis -

40. Degeneration of eyesight, due to Work carried out by locomotive enginemen

employed

cinders, dust, flying objects, heat, on the Zambia Railways, and the railway

operated by the

glare and cold. Zambesi Saw Mills (1948) Limited.

(As amended by S.I. No. 206 of 1969)

41. Industrial deafness Any description of work which is certified by a medical

practitioner under section 91 of the Act.

42. Acid erosion of teeth Any description of work which is certified by a medical

practitioner under section 91 of the Act.

(S.I. No. 181 of 1982)

THIRD SCHEDULE

(Section 61 and 62)

MONTHLY ALLOWANCES IN RESPECT OF CHILDREN

Percentage of

Worker's Pension

In respect of one child 15

In respect of two children 20

In respect of three children 25

In respect of four children 30

In respect of five children 35

In respect of six children 40

In respect of seven children 45

In respect of more than seven children 50

(As amended by Act No. 27 of 1994)

FOURTH SCHEDULE

(Section 61 and 62)

MONTHLY ALLOWANCES IN RESPECT OF CHILDREN

Percentage of

Worker's Pension

In respect of one child 30

In respect of two children 40

In respect of three children 50

In respect of four children 60

In respect of five children 70

In respect of six children 80

In respect of seven children 90

In respect of more than seven children 100

(As amended by Act No. 27 of 1994)

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION

SECTION 109-THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION (PRIVATE DOMESTIC

SERVANTS) REGULATIONS Statutory Instrument

197 of 1973

Regulations by the Minister after consultation with the Workers' Compensation Fund

Control Board

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Workers' Compensation (Private Domestic

Servants) Regulations. Title

2. The rate of assessment payable by an employer in respect of every private domestic

servant employed by him shall be ten ngwee for every month during which he employs

such domestic servant in his private dwelling house for a period exceeding thirteen days

(including Sundays and public holidays). Rate of assessment

3. Every employer to whom section one hundred and nine of the Act applies shall pay

the assessment with the domestic contribution to the Zambia National Provident Fund in

accordance with the provisions of the Zambia National Provident Fund (Domestic

Servants) Regulations, 1973. Payment of assessment

Statutory Instrument.

194 of 1973

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION REGULATIONS

ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS

Regulation

1. Title

2. Interpretation

3. Objections

4. Formal inquiry by Commissioner

5. Expenses of assessors

6. Expenses of members of Tribunal

7. Expenses of witnesses

8. Agreements

9. Prescribed amount of pension

10. Report of accident by employer

11. Register of accidents

12. Prescribed amount of payments to Board

13. Exemption

14. Statement by employer

15. Particulars of business

16. Particulars of employers

17. Early payment to be made

FIRST SCHEDULE-Prescribed forms

SECOND SCHEDULE-Expenses of assessors

THIRD SCHEDULE-Expenses of members of Tribunal

SECTION 125-THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION REGULATIONS

Regulations by the Minister Government Notices

182 of 1964

381 of 1964

497 of 1964

Statutory Instruments

143 of 1965

156 of 1965

230 of 1965

24 of 1970

31 of 1995

Act No.

13 of 1994

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Workers' Compensation Regulations. Title

2. (1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires-

"notice" means notice in writing;

"party" means any person who is a party to any proceedings under the Act, and includes a

person appearing for a party;

"send" means to post by prepaid registered post;

"sign" includes the making by a person of a mark, attested by two competent witnesses

testifying that such mark was made by such person in their presence, and "signature"

includes a mark so made. Interpretation

(2) Where in these Regulations reference is made to a particular form or forms, such

reference shall be to be the form or forms contained in the First Schedule.

3. An objection, in terms of section nineteen of the Act, shall be in the form and contain

the information required in Form 1, and shall be deemed to have been lodged on the date

of receipt by the Commissioner of the said form, duly completed in respect of every

relevant item. Objections

4. (1) Where it is proposed to hold a formal inquiry to consider and determine an

objection, in accordance with the provisions of section twenty-one of the Act, the

Commissioner shall ascertain the material questions in dispute, and shall reduce such

questions into writing and shall fix a time and place for the holding of a formal inquiry

into such questions. Formal inquiry by Commissioner

(2) The Commissioner shall thereupon cause a notice in the form and containing the

information set out in Form 2 to be sent by prepaid registered post to the parties. Such

notice shall state the material questions in dispute and the time and place fixed by the

Commissioner for the holding of a formal inquiry.

(3) Every party to a formal inquiry may appear in person or may be represented-

(a) by a legal practitioner; or

(b) by a member of his family; or

(c) by a person in the permanent and exclusive employment of such party; or

(d) in the case of a worker by an officer of a trade union or of an organisation

approved by the Minister or, in the case of an employer, by an officer of an employers'

organisation; or

(e) by an officer of the Labour Department; or

(f) in the case of a company, by any director, secretary or other officer thereof, and,

in the case of a body corporate which is not a company, by an officer thereof; or

(g) by leave of the Commissioner, by any other person.

(4) No person other than a legal practitioner shall be entitled for so appearing to recover

any fee or reward except necessary out-of-pocket expenses.

(5) Upon the holding of the inquiry the Commissioner shall receive any evidence

presented by the parties which he deems relevant to any question which he has to

determine and may call for and receive any evidence which he deems necessary. The

Commissioner may receive and have regard to a report of a medical or surgical

practitioner registered in the Commonwealth or in the Republic of South Africa as to the

mental or physical condition of any person in respect of whom the dispute exists or the

application for revision of any award or agreement has been made.

(6) The Commissioner may from time to time adjourn or postpone any inquiry for such

periods and for such reasons as he may think fit.

(7) The Commissioner shall keep or cause to be kept a true record of any proceedings

before him upon any formal inquiry and upon payment of a fee to be fixed by the

Commissioner any person may at any time obtain copies of the record or any part thereof.

(8) The Commissioner may appoint any person to take down in shorthand a note of oral

evidence and proceedings; and such appointment may be made either generally for the

purposes of all formal inquiries held by the Commissioner or specially for the purposes of

any particular formal inquiry. Such person shall take an oath to the satisfaction of the

Commissioner for the accurate and faithful recording of such evidence.

(9) The Commissioner shall have the power to award costs at his discretion.

(10) All costs awarded by the Commissioner shall be taxed and recoverable in manner

prescribed by the law or rules governing costs in civil actions in the subordinate courts of

Zambia. For the purpose of the taxation of costs, the clerk of a subordinate court (Class I)

shall be the Taxing Master. Any costs awarded against a worker on any issue on which he

has been unsuccessful may be set off by the Commissioner or by the exempted employer,

as the case may be, by order of the Commissioner, in paying any compensation awarded

to that worker:

Provided that if compensation is payable monthly or weekly the maximum amount that

may be set off in respect of any one month or week shall not exceed one-quarter of the

monthly or weekly payments due to the worker.

(11) The fees and expenses payable to witnesses in connection with a formal inquiry

shall be as set out in the Third Schedule to the Subordinate Courts (Civil Jurisdiction)

Rules. Cap. 28

(12) (a) The findings of the Commissioner shall be pronounced by him either

immediately after the conclusion of the inquiry or as soon as is reasonably practicable

thereafter at some subsequent date.

(b) As soon as practicable after the conclusion of the formal inquiry the Commissioner

shall send by prepaid registered post to the parties a copy of his decision and order, which

shall be in the form and contain the information required in Form 3.

(13) If any party does not appear at the time and place fixed for the formal inquiry, the

Commissioner may in his discretion proceed with the inquiry and may determine the

matters in dispute and make an order, or he may postpone or adjourn the inquiry and

cause a notice to be sent by prepaid registered post to the parties notifying them of the

postponement or adjournment and of the time and place he had fixed for the holding or

continuing of the inquiry:

Provided that, if the Commissioner has in terms of this regulation determined the matters

in dispute and has made an order, he may set aside the order and reopen the inquiry on

good cause shown within fourteen days of the date on which the order was made and may

make such further orders as he deems fit.

(As amended by No. 381 of 1964 and No. 156 of 1965)

5. The remuneration, travelling and subsistence expenses payable to an assessor

appointed in terms of section twenty-six of the Act shall be in accordance with the scale

prescribed in the Second Schedule. Expenses of assessors

6. The remuneration, travelling and subsistence expenses payable to any person chosen

as a member of the Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal, in terms of section twentyseven

of the Act, shall be in accordance with the scale prescribed in the Third Schedule.

Expenses of members of Tribunal

7. The scale of fees and expenses payable to witnesses, in terms of section thirty-seven

of the Act, shall be as set out in the Witnesses and Assessors Allowances Rules.

Expenses of witnesses

Cap. 27

8. (1) Any agreement made, in terms of sub-section (2) of section forty-five of the Act,

shall be in writing and signed by the parties thereto, and shall contain the particulars set

out in Form 4. Agreements

(2) The employer shall submit such agreement not later than fourteen days after the

making thereof, together with a registered medical practitioner's certificate containing the

particulars set out in Form 5.

9. For the purposes of section sixty-nine of the Act, the prescribed amount shall be one

thousand kwacha per month.

(As amended by S.I. no. 31 of 1995) Prescribed amount of pension

10. A report of an accident to a worker made by an employer to the Commissioner, in

terms of sub-section (1) of section seventy-five of the Act, shall be in the form and

contain the information set out in Form 6. Report of accident by employer

11. The register of accidents which an employer is required to keep, in terms of subsection

(4) of section seventy-five of the Act, shall contain the particulars set out in Form

7. Register of accidents

12. The prescribed amount for the purposes of paragraph (b) of sub-section (4) of

section ninety-nine of the Act to be paid by an insurer or exempted employer shall be one

per centum of the compensation, including medical aid, paid by such insurer or exempted

employer who has not transferred the obligations referred to in sub-section (2) or (3) of

section ninety-nine to the Board within the period specified in the said paragraph (b) of

sub-section (4) of section ninety-nine.

(No. 230 of 1965) Prescribed amount of payments to Board

13. (1) Every employer desiring to be exempted, in terms of section one hundred and

five of the Act, from the necessity of paying assessments, shall apply to the

Commissioner for a certificate of exemption. The application shall be in the form and

contain the information required in Form 8. Exemption

(2) Every such employer shall, before a certificate of exemption is granted to him,

furnish the Commissioner with full information in regard to the fund to be established

and maintained by him, in terms of sub-section (1) of section one hundred and five of the

Act.

(3) For a certificate of exemption, or for the renewal thereof, such employer shall pay to

the Commissioner before the said certificate is issued, the sum of seventy-five fee units.

(4) Every certificate of exemption shall expire on the 31st March in each and every year.

(5) Should an employer not wish to renew his certificate of exemption after its

expiration, he shall give notice to that effect to the Commissioner not later than three

months before the date of expiration.

(6) If at any time the Minister is satisfied that an exempted employer has failed to

comply with any of the provisions of this regulation, he may cancel the certificate of

exemption granted to such employer.

(7) After an employer has ceased to be exempted from the necessity of the payment of

assessments, he shall still remain liable in respect of all obligations to his workers which

have arisen, or which may arise, in respect of the period during which he was so exempt,

and the amount of cash or securities deposited by him, in terms of sub-section (1) of

section one hundred and five of the Act, will not be released unless in respect of

reduction of liability of the employer proved to the satisfaction of the Commissioner. Any

balance retained by the Commissioner will be released upon proof that all liabilities of

the employer have been discharged.

(8) Whenever compensation is payable by an exempted employer, in terms of sections

sixty-one and sixty-two of the Act, he shall forthwith notify the Commissioner of the fact,

and shall furnish him with all available information in respect of each such case and shall

await his directions in regard to the payment of such compensation.

(9) Every exempted employer shall transmit to the Commissioner on or before the 1st

June in each year, a certified copy of his latest duly audited trading account, profit and

loss account and balance sheet together with-

(a) a statement of pensions payable by him under the Act as required in Form 9;

(b) a statement of children's allowances payable by him under the Act as required in

Form 10;

(c) a statement containing details of outstanding claims as at the 31st March

preceding, as required in Form 11;

(d) a statement in the form and containing the information required in Form 12 of

wages paid during the previous twelve months ending the 31st March.

(10) Every exempted employer shall transmit to the Commissioner, within thirty days

after the end of each month, returns in the manner and containing the information

required in Form 13, showing all claim payments made by him during such month.

(11) Should an exempted employer fail to meet any claim for compensation or medical

aid for which he may have become liable under the Act, the Commissioner shall have the

right to withdraw from the deposit made by such employer, in terms of sub-section (1) of

section one hundred and five of the Act, sufficient money, and shall have the right to sell

such securities forming part of the said deposit as will realise sufficient money, for the

purpose described in this sub-regulation.

(12) An exempted employer shall not be entitled to a refund of any portion of the fee

paid by him under sub-regulation (3) if, in terms of the provisions of sub-regulation (6),

the Minister has cancelled the certificate of exemption granted to the employer.

(13) Every exempted employer shall keep all accounts and records of all payments by

him in respect of workers' compensation under the Act separate from the records of his

other business transactions.

(As amended by Act No. 13 of 1994)

14. A statement transmitted to the Commissioner by an employer in terms of subsection

(1) of section one hundred and six of the Act shall be in the form and contain the

information set out in Form 14.

(As amended by No. 143 of 1965) Statement by employer

15. The particulars of business which an employer is required to furnish to the

Commissioner, in terms of sub-section (1) of section one hundred and eleven of the Act,

shall be in the form and contain the information set out in Form 15. Particulars of business

16. The particulars of employers required to be furnished by an insurance company, in

terms of sub-section (1) of section one hundred and twenty-one of the Act, shall be in the

form and contain the information set out in Form 16. Particulars of employers

17. (1) All moneys payable under the Act to any person shall be paid as soon as possible

after the date on which they become payable. Early payment to be made

(2) If the Commissioner, or the employer individually liable, as the case may be, is

unable to trace the payee, and any such moneys accordingly remain unpaid after the

expiration of twelve months of the date on which they became payable, the following

procedure shall be adopted:

(a) Details of all such amounts payable to persons other than persons from outside

Zambia shall be notified in the Gazette and in a local newspaper by the Commissioner,

both in respect of moneys payable from the Fund and moneys payable by employers

individually liable, who shall advise and pay to the Commissioner such moneys every

quarter. Such notice shall call upon any person claiming payment of any such amount to

lodge his claim with the Commissioner within a period of one month of the date thereof.

If, at the expiration of the said period, no claim has been lodged, or if any claim has been

lodged and rejected by the Commissioner, the amount shall be paid into the reserves of

the Fund:

Provided that if at any subsequent date a claim is lodged with the

Commissioner and proved to his satisfaction he shall pay the amount of the said claim.

(b) Any such unpaid moneys payable to persons from outside Zambia shall be paid to

the government of the country in which such person is domiciled, or to the local

representative in Zambia of such government; and any subsequent claim for payment of

any such amount shall be referred to the government concerned for consideration.

(As amended by No. 156 of 1965)

FIRST SCHEDULE

PRESCRIBED FORMS

FORM 1

(Section 19)

(Regulation 3)

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

This objection must be lodged with the Workers' Compensation Commissioner, P.O. Box

71534, Ndola, within thirty days of the date of the Commissioner's decision. (NOTE.-

"Lodged within thirty days" means that the objection must reach the Commissioner

within thirty days of the date of his decision.)

NOTICE OF OBJECTION

Name of workman

Name of employer

1. Full name and address of objector

Full name and address of legal practitioner or other representative, if any

2. State whether objector is-

(a )the worker or

(b) the employer or

(c) an employer's organisation or trade union of which the person in respect of whom

the decision was given, was at the relevant times a member

(NOTE.-The word "Yes" should be written against (a), or (b), or (c), whichever is

applicable.)

3. Quote the reference number and date of the document containing the Commissioner's

decision against which the objection is lodged

4. State fully what portion of the Commissioner's decision you object to

5. Give your reasons in full for lodging the objection

6. State the relief or order which you claim, or the question which you desire to have

determined

7. Any documentary evidence (or copies thereof) which you wish to submit in support of

your contentions as stated in paragraph 5 should be attached and enumerated hereunder:

Number Title or description of document

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

8. Give names and addresses of persons whom you wish to be called as witnesses to give

evidence in support of your objection:

Name Address

9. On what points briefly will they give evidence?

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

Place

Date

Signature of Objector

NOTE.-Where the objector is an employer individually liable, this form must be

accompanied by a statement as to whether he admits his liability to pay compensation or

denies such liability, and whether the admission or denial is total or partial, and if he

admits or denies liability partially, a statement of the extent to which he admits or denies

liability and, in the case of a denial of liability, the grounds thereof shall be stated.

FORM 2

(Regulation 4 (2))

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

NOTICE OF THE COMMISSIONER'S INTENTION TO HOLD A FORMAL

INQUIRY

Inquiry No.

In the matter of the dispute or application between:

Applicant

and

Respondent

Date

To

of

Take notice that the material questions in dispute between the parties are

The Commissioner will hold a formal inquiry at (time) on

the .................................. (date) in the (place) to determine the

questions in dispute and you should attend at that time and place together with your

witnesses, if any, as to such questions.

Workers' Compensation Commissioner

FORM 3

(Regulation 4 (12) (b))

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

NOTICE OF ORDER MADE BY THE COMMISSIONER ON A FORMAL INQUIRY

Inquiry No.

In the matter of the dispute or application between:

Applicant

and

.Respondent

Date

To

of

The material questions in dispute between the parties were

The decision of the Commissioner on these questions is

And the Commissioner orders that

Workers' Compensation Commissioner

FORM 4

(Section 45)

(Regulation 8 (1))

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

AGREEMENT

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT made and entered into between (1)

(hereinafter referred to as the employer) of the one part, and (2)

(hereinafter referred to as the worker) of the other part.

WHEREAS both the employer and the worker declare that they are acquainted with

the liabilities, rights, privileges and benefits contained and set out in the Workers'

Compensation Act:

AND WHEREAS the worker is specially liable to meet with an accident or if he meets

with an accident, to sustain serious injury in his employment as a (3)

by reason of (4)

mentioned in the certificate by the registered medical practitioner annexed hereto, it is

hereby agreed between the worker and the employer that in the event of the worker

meeting with an accident whilst in the employ of the employer the rights of the worker or

his dependants to compensation under the Workers' Compensation Act shall be limited to

(5) per centum of the compensation which would otherwise

be payable under the said Act.

Signed at this ........................................... day

of ........................... 19 .........

Witness:

Employer

Witness:

Worker

Approved under section 45 of the Workers' Compensation Act, this

day of ....................................... 19 ........

Workers' Compensation Commissioner

NOTES

(1) Full name of employer.

(2) Full name of worker.z

(3) State nature of work on which worker is engaged.

(4) State "old age", "serious physical infirmity", or "previous injury", as the case may be.

(5) State percentage.

FORM 5

(Regulation 8 (2))

THE WORKERs' COMPENSATION ACT

CERTIFICATE OF REGISTERED MEDICAL PRACTITIONER

IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED by me, pursuant to section 45 of the Workers'

Compensation Act, that I have this day examined (1)

and that by reason of (2)-

(a) old age (state age) ...........................

(b) serious physical infirmity (state nature of)

(c) previous injury (state nature of)

he is specially (3) liable to meet with an accident or to sustain a serious injury if

employed as a

I assess the degree of disability at per centum.

Dated this ...................................................... day of 19 .........

Registered Medical Practitioner

Address

NOTES

(1) Full name of worker.

(2) Strike out words not applicable.

(3) Registered medical practitioners should note that section 45 (2) of the Act has used

the words "specially liable" and not merely "more liable" and regard should be had before

issuing the certificate, not only to the age, serious physical infirmity or previous injury of

the worker, but also to the nature of the work in which he is employed at the time.

FORM 6

(Section 75)

(Regulation 10)

THE WORKER'S COMPENSATION ACT

For official use

Claim Number:

EMPLOYER'S REPORT OF AN ACCIDENT TO A WORKER

To be addressed to:

The Workers' Compensation Commissioner

P.O. Box 71534, Ndola

Employer:

Name under which trade or business is

carried on (block capitals):

...............................................................................................................................................

..........................Address .......................................................................

.....................................................................................

Worker:

Full name ......................................................................

(block capitals)

Residential address .....................................................

......................................................................................Occupation

...................................................................

.......................................................................................

Nature of business, trade or industry:

...............................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

......Telephone No. .........................................................................

Village (if applicable) ...............................................................

..................................................................................................

Chief (if applicable) .................................................................

..................................................................................................

District (if applicable) ...............................................................

..................................................................................................

Age

Sex

Married

or single Number of

children under

17 years of age Is worker

right- or

left-handed?

1.(a) How long has he been in your employ?

(b) If not in your direct employ, give the

name and address of the sub-contractor

(c) Prior to this accident had he, to your

knowledge, any physical defect or did

he suffer from any serious disease? If

so, give details. ..................................................................................................

..................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

......

2. Earnings:

(a) Wages (excluding bonus, commission or allowances).

Per Hour or Per Shift or Per Week or Per Ticket or Per Month

(b) Normal working hours:

per week

or per shift

(c) Monthly cost-of-living allowance

(d) Monthly other allowances (specify)

(e) Monthly value of free food supplied

(f) Monthly value of free quarters supplied

...............................................................................................................................................

....................................................

..................................................................................................

..................................................................................................

..................................................................................................

..................................................................................................

3. (a) Has he previously received compensation

for permanent disablement?

(b) If so, when and by whom employed?

..................................................................................................

..................................................................................................

4. Accident:

(a) Where did it occur?

(State site, e.g., workshop, underground,

etc.)

(b) When did it occur?

(c) When did the worker report it?

(d) If he failed to report it on the same day,

what is his explanation?

(e) What was the worker doing when it

occurred?

(f) Describe cause, mentioning contributory

factors and any part of premises, plant

or machinery connected with the accident.

(g) Did it result from action properly within

the scope of the worker's duties? If not,

please attach explanatory statement.

..................................................................................................

At .................... hours on ...............................................

.................................................................................. 19 ......

Date ............................. Time ................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

....................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

....................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

......

...............................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

......

5. Was the accident caused by-

(a) deliberate violation of rules?

(b) drunkenness?

(c) deliberate contravention of any law made

for the purpose of ensuring the safety of

workers? (If reply is in the affirmative,

please attach explanatory statement.)

..................................................................................................

..................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................

6. Give the names and addresses of witnesses to

the accident.

...................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

..................

7. Was the accident caused by the action of a

person other than the worker?

If so, give his name and address

.................................................................................................

Name .......................................................................................

Address ...................................................................................

..................................................................................................

8. Has notice been received of any magisterial

or other official inquiry?

If accident was investigated by the Police,

state name of Police Station

..................................................................................................

..................................................................................................

9. Particulars of disablement:

(a) Describe the nature and extent of the

injuries sustained, mentioning parts of

the body, and in the case of limb, or eye,

stating right or left side.

(b) When did the employee cease work as a

result of the accident?

(c) State probable period worker will be

off duty

(d) Name and address of doctor attending the

worker

(e) If in hospital, give name and address.

...............................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................

At ....................... hours on ......................................................

......................................................................... 19 ...................

..................................................................................................

Name .......................................................................................

..................................................................................................

Name .......................................................................................

Address ...................................................................................

..................................................................................................

I hereby certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the particulars furnished in

this report are true and correct.

Date. ..................................................................................

...................................................................................................

Employer's Signature

For Official Use Only

Date received Employer's

number Premium

checked by Claim

accepted by Claim

rejected by

FORM 7

(Section 75)

(Regulation 11)

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

EMPLOYER'S REGISTER OF ACCIDENTS TO WORKERS

Name and address of employer. ........................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................

Village/ Date of

Residen- Chief/ Nature reporting

Accident Date Name tial District/ Cause of of accident

No. of of worker addressof worker accident injuriesto Comaccident

of if applic- received missioner

worker able

FORM 8

Regulation 13 (1))

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

APPLICATION FOR EXEMPTION IN TERMS OF SECTION 105 OF THE ACT

1. Employer's name

2. Postal address

3. Address at which workers are to be engaged

4. Nature and particulars of work, trade or business of employer.

5. SCHEDULE

NOTES

(1) Salaries and wages must include the value of house rent, food, commission, etc.,

paid or supplied by the employer. (See section 67 of the Act.)

(2) Workers shown in one class must not be shown in another class.

(3) Workers whose basic rate of pay exceeds K4,800 a year must not be included.

(4) This application must be accompanied by a certified copy of the last balance sheet,

and of the trading, profit and loss accounts.

Workers whose Esti- For

Classification of Worker basic rate of pay mated official

does not exceed annual use

K4,800 a year wages only

(a) Engaged with woodworking machinery

(b) Engaged with machinery other than woodworking

. . . . . . . .

(c) Not engaged with machinery . . . .

(d) Engaged with or handling explosives . .

(e) Workers whose duties involve underground

work . . . . . . . .

(f) Clerical staff . . . . . . . .

(g) Salesmen (in retail shops only) . . . .

(h) Commercial travellers . . . . . .

(i) Drivers and wagon attendants . . . .

(j) Workers making use of aircraft . . . .

(k)

(l) . .

6. Do you carry on more than one business in any one

building? If so, specify . . . . . .

....................................................................

7. (a) Have you any machinery driven by electricity,

steam, water, or any other mechanical power? If so,

....................................................................

state particulars . . . . . .

....................................................................

(b) Are your machinery, plant, and ways properly

fenced and guarded and otherwise in good order

and condition? . . . . . . . .

....................................................................

8. State what acids, chemicals or explosives will be used . .

....................................................................

9. State number of workers using motor-cycles in

connection with your business . . . . . .

....................................................................

10. Has any company refused to accept any proposal for

insurance, increased your premium on renewal, refused

renewal, cancelled your policy? Give full particulars . .

....................................................................

11. Were you insured during the last ten years? State

name(s) of companies . . . . . . . .

....................................................................

12. Give full particulars of all accidents to your workers

during the last ten years; the extent and nature of the

injuries and the compensation paid in each case . .

....................................................................

13. State any special circumstances in connection with your

business which tend to make the risk more than usually

hazardous . . . . . . . . . .

....................................................................

14. (a) What is the amount of the fund at present? . .

....................................................................

(b) What will be the initial amount of the fund if

exemption is granted? . . . . . .

....................................................................

(c) What amount will be added annually? . . . .

....................................................................

(d) In what securities will the fund be invested? . .

....................................................................

15. (a) What amount do you consider a fair estimate of the

average annual expenditure on workers

compensation under the Act? . . . . . .

....................................................................

(b) Please give full particulars of how the estimate has

been arrived at . . . . . . . .

....................................................................

I certify that the foregoing information is true and correct.

Date

Signature of Employer

FORM 9

(Regulation 13 (9) (a))

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

To be completed by Exempted Employers

Statement of Capitalised Value of Pensions (1) as at 31st March, 19 ........ , by

Claim Name of State If State Date Age of

Annuity value

No pensioner whether Name of pensioner

whether married, widow, widower, single, divorced pensioner is a male and has a wife

dependent on him, give date of birth of wife Sex whether pensioner is a workman or

widow of a worker from which pension is, or will be, payable pensioner at nearest

birthday Disablement of worker (2) Monthly earnings of worker on which

pension is, or will be, based Gross annual pension Amount of annual pension

commuted (3) Net annual pension payable Worker or widow Reversi-onary

pension payable to wife on death of husband Capitali-sed value of pension Add pension

moneys due to 31st March not yet paid Net liability in respect of pension

Total . .

Auditor Signature

Date Address

Date

Notes

This statement must be submitted to the Workers' Compensation Commissioner on or

before the 1st June in each year.

Where the pension payable has been commuted in full and paid prior to the 31st March,

the pension should not be included in this return.

(1) A children's allowance is not a pension and a separate statement in respect of

children's allowances must be rendered on Form 10.

(2) State fatal or permanent. If permanent give degree of disablement. If a permanently

injured worker in receipt of a pension dies and his widow becomes the pensioner state

degree of disablement of the deceased worker and the date of his death.

(3) Where part of a pension has been commuted, the commuted value should not be

deducted unless payment thereof was made on or before the 31st March.

FORM 10

(Regulation 13 (9) (b))

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

To be completed by Exempted Employers

Statement of Capitalised Value of Children's Allowances as at 31st March, 19 ....... by

Annual

amount

of allowance Capitalised

value

Claim No. Name of Worker in respect of whom children's

allow-ance is payable

State whether married, widow, widower or

divorced Disable-ment of Worker (1) Amount of monthly pension on which

allow-ance is

based State whether allowance

is payable in accordance

with Third or Fourth Schedule to Act Date from which allow-ance is, or will be, payable

Names of child or children Dates of birth of children Age of child, nearest

birthday Nearest number of years allowance has to run.

Annuity value (each child) Applic-able to each child Total sum payable for all

children of same

worker In respect of each child Total value for all children of same worker Add

allowance moneys due 31st March not yet paid Net liability in respect of allowances

Total . .

Auditor Signature

Date Address

Date.

Notes

This statement must be submitted to the Workers' Compensation Commissioner on or

before the 1st June in each year.

(1) State if fatal or permanent. If permanent give degree of disablement. If a permanently

injured worker in receipt of a pension dies and his children are in receipt of an allowance

state, in addition to the degree of permanent disablement, the date on which the workman

died.

FORM 11

(Regulation 13 (9) (c))

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

To be completed by Exempted Employers

Statement of Outstanding Claims as at 31st March, 19......

To be completed in duplicate and forwarded to reach the Workers' Compensation

Commissioner on or before the 1st June in each year.

Name and Address of Exempted Employer

Injured or deceased worker Accident Dependants (3) For official

use only

Name Age (1) Occupation Earnings (2) Date Details (medical certificates

must be encloed

showing nature and extent of injuries, probable

result of accident, estimated cost of medical aid and

estimated duration of disablement)

Name Relationship to workman Date of birth Periodical payments Lump

sum Capitalised pension Capitalised children's allowance Medical aid

Sundries Total estimated Remarks

Total . .

I certify that the foregoing particulars are true and correct: From the foregoing

information it is considered that an amount of K

Date ............................ Signature of Employer is required in respect of

outstanding claims.

(1) If exact age not known, state estimated age.

(2) Specify weekly or monthly earnings and, if food and/or quarters are supplied,

the value must be included. Workers' Compensation Commissioner

(3) To be completed only in respect of workers fatally injured or permanently disabled.

Date

FORM 12

(Regulation 13 (9) (d))

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

ANNUAL RETURN OF WAGES PAID BY EXEMPTED EMPLOYERS

To be completed by Exempted EmployersForm 12

Exemption Certificate No. .....................................

Name, Address and Business of Employer

Notes-(1) Wages and salaries must include the full value of rent, food, etc., paid or

supplied by the employer.

(2) This statement, duly completed in duplicate, must reach the Workers' Compensation

Commissioner on or before the 1st June in each year.

(1)

Classification of workers

Number of workers Wages paid during the year

ended 31st March, 19 .....

in respect of workers whose

basic rate of pay does not

exceed K4,800 per annum For official use only

Rate % premium

(a) Engaged with woodworking machinery . . . . . . . .

(b) Engaged with machinery other than woodworking . . . . . .

(c) Not engaged with machinery . . . . . . . .

(d) Engaged with handling explosives . . . . . . . .

(e) Workers whose duties involve underground work . . . . . .

(f) Clerical staff . . . . . . . . .. . . . .

(g) Salesmen (in retail shops only) . . . . . . . . . .

(h) Commercial travellers . . . . . . . . . . . .

(i) Drivers and wagon attendants . . . . . . . .

(j) Amount paid to contractors (2) as wages of workers (see section 10 of the Act)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(k) Workers making use of aircraft . . . . . . . . . .

Workers not included in the above (specify):

(l), (m), (n) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K K

Totals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(1) The number of workers and wages paid in respect of the same class of work must

not appear under more than one heading.

(2) If liability for work of contractors has been assumed, then item (j) must be

completed, if not, please complete the following particulars:

Name of contractor

Address

Nature of work performed and period

Amount paid to contractor Amount of licence fee payable on or before

the 1st April, 19......

Licence . . . . . . K

.......................... on

K ...................... . . K

Total . . . . K

Workers' Compensation Commissioner

Date

Date. Certified correct Signature of Employer

Remarks

Date Signature of Auditor

FORM 13

(Regulation 13 (10))

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

To be completed by Exempted Employers

Name and Address of Employer

Return of Claim Payments in Respect of Worker During the Month of

........................................... , 19 .........

Particulars of workers Payments

Claim No. (1) Name Occupation Age Sex Married or single Settlement (2)

Time and date of accident Cause of accident (3) Nature and location of

injury (4) Disablement (5) Place of accident (6)

Earn-ings (Section 67 of

the Act) (7) Periodical payments Lump Sums Pension Children's allowance

Medical aid Sundries (8) Total State whether payment is

final or on account, etc.

Date Signature

(1) Claims under which payments have been shown in previous returns should be

prefixed by the letter "A" before the claim number, and the month stated in which the

first payment under the claim was made.

(2) State whether settlement has been arrived at by Agreement (A), Commissioner (C), or

determined by Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal (T).

(3) State briefly cause of accident or cause of death naming the object which was the

immediate cause of the accident. For example: "Struck by fall of rock", "Run over by

cocopan", "Buried by fall of earth", "Slipped and fell from scaffolding", "Spanner

slipped", "Splashed by copper", etc.

(4) Nature and location of injury should be described briefly in such terms as will convey

full information, using such phrases as amputation, burns, scalds, cuts, lacerations, strain,

sprain, fractures, etc. The exact location must be indicated and in cases of all injuries to a

member whether it is right or left member. For example: "Fracture of tibia right leg",

"Right arm amputated between wrist and elbow", "Amputation two phalanges right index

finger and one phalanx middle finger left hand", "Foreign body left eye", "Loss of use of

right arm", etc.

(5) State whether fatal, giving date of death; whether permanent, giving percentage of

disablement; or total or partial, giving period of disablement.

(6) State site, e.g., workshop, yard, track, etc.

(7) Earnings means salaries, wages, commissions, cost-of-living allowances and other

payments, including overtime if of a constant character or for work habitually performed,

and must also include the value of food and quarters provided.

(8) This column is to be used to record payments in respect of transportation of injured

workers, constant attendance (section 70), etc., and an appropriate suffix should be added

to indicate the nature of the payment, i.e., Transport (T); Burial Expenses (B); Constant

Attendance (C); etc.

The above statement, duly completed, must reach the Workers' Compensation

Commissioner not later than thirty days after the last day of the month in respect of which

the return is rendered.

FORM 14

(Section 106 (1))

(Regulation 14)

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

ESTATE AND STATEMENT OF EARNINGS OF WORKERS

This form must be completed and returned to the Workers' Compensation Commissioner,

P.O. Box 71534, Ndola, not later than 19 ........, or within fourteen days of the

commencement of business, whichever date is the later.

Separate Forms Must be used for Each Class of Business Carried on by Employer

1. Is your name and address correctly shown above? If so, simply state "Yes"; if not,

insert correct name and postal address in block capitals.

2. State names and addresses of all branches, etc., covered by this return. If

insufficient space, please answer fully on separate sheet ..

3. Has there been any change in the nature of your trade or in the type of work in

which your workers are employed since you completed and returned Form 15

("Particulars of Business")? If so, please detail; if not, simply state "No".

4. Estimate of Earnings

Give an estimate to the nearest K of the total earnings which you expect to pay during

the financial year 1st April, 19 ......... to 31st March, 19 ......... in respect of workers (male

and female) whose basic rate of pay does not exceed K ......... per annum.

(For definition of "earnings", see section 2 of the Act.)

Average number of workers likely to be employed per month . . . . . .

. . . .

Average number of workers likely to be supplied with food and quarters per month. .

. . . .

Total earnings of all workers during the year, excluding food and quarters

Total cash value of food to be supplied by the employer to all workers during the year

. .

Total cash value of quarters to be supplied by employer to all workers during the year

. .

Total Earnings for Assessment

Average number of workers employed . . . . . . . . . . . .

Average number of workers supplied with food and/or quarters . . . . . .

Total earnings of all workers, excluding food and quarters . . . . . . . .

Total cash value of food supplied by employer to all workers . . . . . .

. .

Total cash value of quarters supplied by employer to all workers . . . . . .

3. Is your name and address correctly shown overleaf? If so, simply state "YES"; if

not, insert correct name and postal address in BLOCK CAPITALS.

4. State names and addresses of all branches, etc., covered by this return. If

insufficient space, please answer fully on separate sheet.

5. State the precise nature of your trade, work, business or profession.

Notes:

(1) Earnings means salaries, wages, commissions, cost-of-living allowances and other

payments (including overtime) if of a constant character or for work habitually

performed, paid or to be paid during the financial year. (See section 67 of the Act.)

(2) All earnings paid or to be paid by sub-contractors not otherwise registered as

employers with the Workers' Compensation Commissioner must be ascertained and

included.

(3) Intermittent overtime and sums paid or to be paid under any Provident Fund, or

by way of pension, are not to be included.

I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge all particulars in this return are true,

correct and complete, and that the estimates are fair and reasonable.

Date Signature

Signature of employer or his duly authorised agent

(No. 24 of 1970)

FORM 15

(Section 111)

(Regulation 15)

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

Financial Year ...................................

PARTICULARS OF BUSINESS

This form must be completed and returned, not later than ,

or within fourteen days of the commencement of business, whichever date is the later, to

the Workers' Compensation Commissioner, P.O. Box 71534, Ndola.

SEPARATE FORMS MUST BE USED FOR EACH CLASS OF BUSINESS CARRIED

ON BY EMPLOYER

Note.-Replies to Questions 9 and 10 must give full details of all activities carried on, as

this information determines the premium rating.

1. Employer's name (in full) (block capitals) . .

2. Employer's postal address and telephone number

3. Employer's business (street) address . .

4. Name under which business is carried on (block capitals) . . . . . .

. .

5. Names of partners (if any) (block capitals) . .

6. Registered name of company (limited liability companies only) . . . .

. .

7. State whether business commenced before 1st April, 1964 . . . . . .

. .

Yes/No

8. If business commenced on or after 1st April, 1964, state date on which business

commenced

9. State the precise nature of your trade, work, business or profession

10. Give a general description of the various types of work in which your workers

will be engaged (e.g., commercial travellers and warehousing; workshop and sales; soft

goods only; machinery sales, installation and repairs)

11. What type of business licence do you hold?

12 State the names of all branches covered by this return, the nature of business of

each branch and the town or suburb in which branch is situated. (Note.-Subsidiary limited

liability companies must be registered on a separate form.)

13. Have you previously been insured against Workers' Compensation risks? If so, state:

(a) under what name

(b) name of insurance company

14. I hereby certify that, to the best of my knowledge, all particulars in this return are

true.

Date

Signature of employer or his duly

authorised agent

(No. 381 of 964)

FORM 16

(Section 121)

(Regulation 16)

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

be completed by Insurance Companies

PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYERS

Policy No. ..............................................

Employer's name

Employer's postal address

Classification and Code No. of trade or business carried on by Employer

Workers employed in

such trade or business

whose basic rate of pay

does not exceed K4,800

(male or female) Number

employed Remuneration

A. If Wages Declaration Available B. If No Wages Declaration Available

Earnings exclusive of

food and quarters for

period 1st April, 1962,

to 31st March, 1963.

(See Note 1) Value of food and

quarters supplied by

employer for period 1st

April, 1962, to 31st

March, 1963

(See Note 2) Estimated earnings exclusive

of food and

quarters for period

from ...........................

to ................................

(See Note 3) Estimated value of food

and quarters supplied

by employer for period

from ...............................

to ....................................

(See Note 4)

Workers . . . . . .

Earned premium if wages declaration available . . . . K

If no wages declaration available, premium paid on estimated earnings K

In each case, please state exact period covered by premium paid.

Note-1. If earnings declared do not cover period 1st April, 1962, to 31st March, 1963,

please state period to which earnings declared relate.

2. If value of food and quarters supplied have been included in earnings, please so state.

3. Please state period covered by estimated earnings and amount of earnings.

4. If value of food and quarters supplied have been included in estimated earnings, please

so state.

SECOND SCHEDULE

(Regulation 5)

EXPENSES OF ASSESSORS

Any person appointed as an assessor, in terms of sub-section (1) of section 26 of the

Act, shall, whilst engaged in any sitting or work of a formal inquiry, under the provisions

of section 21 of the Act, be paid out of the Fund remuneration and reasonable expenses

for travelling and subsistence in accordance with the following tariff:

(a) For every day or part thereof: K8.40 per day.

(b) The cost of his air or train fare.

(c) For each mile of any journey by motor transport, provided that the journey could

not conveniently be undertaken by train or air: 15n per mile.

(d) For each day he is absent from his town of residence and incurs expense: K8.00

per day.

THIRD SCHEDULE

(Regulation 6)

EXPENSES OF MEMBERS OF TRIBUNAL

Any person chosen as a member of the Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal shall,

whilst engaged in any sitting or any work of the Tribunal, receive from moneys

appropriated by Parliament, remuneration and reasonable expenses for travelling and

subsistence in accordance with the following tariff:

(a) For every day or part thereof: K20.00 per day.

(b) The cost of his air or train fare.

(c) For each mile of any journey by motor transport, provided that the journey could

not conveniently be undertaken by train or air: 15n per mile.

(d) For each day he is absent from his town of residence and incurs expense: K8.00

per day.

(As amended by No. 156 of 1965)

NOTICE AND RULES MADE UNDER THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT

(Section 15 of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act)

Exemption Government Notice

194 of 1961

The Railways in Zambia have been exempted from the operation of *section ninety in

Part VII of the Workers' Compensation Act.

*See sections 104 and 105 of the Act.

THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION RECIPROCAL ARRANGEMENTS

(ZIMBABWE) RULES Government Notices

183 of 1957

497 of 1964

Statutory Instrument

156 of 1965

1. These Rules may be cited as the Workers' Compensation Reciprocal Arrangements

(Zimbabwe) Rules. Title

2. In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires- Interpretation

"Zimbabwean worker" means a worker ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe

"Zambian worker" means a worker ordinarily resident in Zambia.

(As amended by No. 156 of 1965)

3. In any case where a worker is entitled to compensation both under the law of Zambia

and under the law of Zimbabwe, such worker or his dependants shall be entitled to

recover compensation under the law of one country only.

(As amended by No. 156 of 1965) Compensation under one law only

4. In the case of an employer carrying on business in Zambia whose Zambian worker is

temporarily employed by such employer in Zimbabwe the law in respect of compensation

applicable to such worker during the whole of any continuous period not exceeding

twelve months during which he is so employed in Zimbabwe shall be the law of Zambia.

If the employment in Zimbabwe continues after such period of twelve months, the law

applicable after such period shall be the law of Zimbabwe

(As amended by No. 156 of 1965) Law of Zambia to apply to Zambian worker

temporarily in Zimbabwe

5. In the case of an employer carrying on business in Zimbabwe whose Zimbabwean

worker is temporarily employed by such employer in Zambia, the law in respect of

compensation applicable to such worker during the whole of any continuous period not

exceeding twelve months during which he is so employed in Zambia shall be the law of

Zimbabwe. If the employment in Zambia continues after such period of twelve months,

the law applicable after such period shall be the law of Zambia.

(As amended by No. 156 of 1965) Zimbabwe law to apply to Zimbabwean workers

temporarily in Zambia

6. In the case of an employer who ordinarily carries on business both in Zambia and in

Zimbabwe and who transfers a worker temporarily from the one country to the other, the

following provisions shall apply:

(a) in the case of a worker temporarily transferred from Zambia to Zimbabwe, the

law in respect of compensation applicable to such worker during the whole of any

continuous period not exceeding twelve months during which he is so employed in

Zimbabwe shall be the law of Zambia. If the employment in Zimbabwe continues after

such period of twelve months, the law applicable after such period shall be the law of

Zimbabwe.

(b) in the case of a worker temporarily transferred from Zimbabwe to Zambia, the

law in respect of compensation applicable to such worker during the whole of any

continuous period not exceeding twelve months during which he is so employed in

Zambia shall be the law of Zimbabwe. If the employment in Zambia continues after such

period of twelve months, the law applicable after such period shall be the law of Zambia.

For the purposes of this rule, a worker shall not be considered to have been temporarily

transferred but shall be considered to have been permanently transferred if, in the opinion

of the Workers' Compensation Commissioner in Zambia or in Zimbabwe as the case may

be, the transfer is made in accordance with the ordinary terms of the employment from a

branch of the employer's business in the one country to a branch of the employer's

business in the other country.

(As amended by No. 156 of 1965) Rules where employer carries on business in both

countries

7. In any proceedings for the recovery of compensation the High Court or the

magistrate or the Commissioner, as the case may be, may admit evidence taken in

Zimbabwe before a magistrate in regard to any matter relating to compensation if such

evidence is taken on oath and is certified by such magistrate as having been duly taken by

him. Nothing in this rule contained shall be deemed to prevent the High Court or a

magistrate from ordering the taking of evidence in any manner provided under any other

law. Admission of evidence in High Court

8. (1) A magistrate or the Commissioner, as the case may be, shall have the power to

procure and take evidence for use in Zimbabwe or otherwise for the purpose of

facilitating proceedings for the recovery of compensation under the laws of Zimbabwe.

Obtaining evidence from witnesses for use in Zimbabwe

(2) Whenever such evidence is required from a witness who resides or then is in Zambia

and it is certified by the High Court or a Magistrate's Court of Zimbabwe to the

Commissioner or, as the case may be, to the magistrate of the district in which such

witness resides or then is, that the evidence of such witness is required for use in

Zimbabwe for the purpose of facilitating proceedings for the recovery of compensation

under the laws of Zimbabwe, and that interrogatories to be put to such witness have been

duly framed, it shall be the duty of the Commissioner or, as the case may be, the

magistrate of the district in which such witness resides or then is, upon the receipt of such

interrogatories together with the reasonable expenses of such witness in accordance with

the rates prescribed under the Subordinate Courts Act, to summon such witness to appear

before him and upon the appearance of such witness to take his evidence as though such

witness were a witness in an application under the Act, and to put to such witness the

interrogatories aforesaid and all other questions calculated to obtain full and true answers

to such interrogatories, and to take down or cause to be taken down in writing the

evidence of such witness and to transmit the same certified as having been duly taken to

the High Court or Magistrate's Court, as the case may be, in Zimbabwe.

(As amended by No. 156 of 1965) Cap. 28

9. (1) Compensation awarded in Zimbabwe to any person resident or becoming resident

in Zambia may be transferred to and administered by the Commissioner. Compensation

may be transferred

(2) Compensation awarded under the Act to any person resident or becoming resident in

Zimbabwe may be transferred to and administered by the Workers' Compensation

Commissioner of Zimbabwe.

(3) Where the Commissioner to whom compensation has been transferred in terms of

sub-rule (1) is unable for any reason to pay such compensation to the person to whom it

has been awarded within a period of twelve months from the date on which it was so

transferred, then in such event the Commissioner shall refund such compensation to the

Workers' Compensation Commissioner in Zimbabwe.

(As amended by No. 156 of 1965)

10. The obligation in regard to insurance imposed upon employers in regard to the

workers to whom the provisions of rules 3, 4 and 5 apply, shall be determined by the law

which is applicable to such workers by virtue of the provisions of the said rules.

Obligation to insure under the respective laws

SECTIONS 59, 125-THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION (LUMP SUM

COMPENSATION CALCULATION BASIS) ORDER Statutory Instrument

146 of 1977

1. This Order may be cited as the Workers' Compensation (Lump Sum Compensation

Calculation Basis) Order. Title

2. Where a worker suffers permanent disablement but the degree of disablement does

not exceed ten per centum, the basis upon which the lump sum compensation payable to

such worker shall be calculated shall be such proportion of the capitalised value as

determined by the Commissioner of the pension and children's allowances which would

have been payable had the worker suffered permanent disablement to a degree of one

hundred per centum as the percentage of his permanent disablement bears to one hundred

per centum. Basis of calculation of lump sum in certain cases

SECTIONS 125 AND 107(5)-THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION (ASSESSMENT

OF EARNINGS) REGULATIONS

Regulations by the Minister Statutory Instrument

121 of 1992

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Workers' Compensation (Assessment of

Earnings) Regulations. Title

2. The Commissioner shall not assess an employer for any earnings in excess of

K1,200,000 per annum of any worker in respect of the period to which the statement

submitted under section one hundred and six relate. Earnings in excess of K1,200,000

3. The earnings for assessment purposes shall include-

(a) worker's annual basic wages or salary up to K1,200,000;

(b) overtime payments;

(c) shift differential payment;

(d) leave pay if not included in (a) above;

(e) payment made to casual workers employed in connection with employer's nature

of business; and

(f) add 12.5 per centum to the total of items (a) to (e) to cover food and quarters.

Earnings for assessment

4. The Workers' Compensation (Assessment of Earnings) Regulations, 1994, are hereby

revoked. Revocation of S.I. No. 39 of 1994

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