Western Australian Current Regulations

WORKERS COMPENSATION AND INJURY MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS 2024

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

   PART 1 -- Preliminary  

   1.      Citation  
   2.      Commencement  
   3.      Terms used  
   4.      Rounding

   PART 2 -- Injury from employment  

   5.      Prescribed diseases and prescribed employment  
   6.      Conditions and limitations on prescribed diseases (Act s. 10(3)(a))  
           7. Day on which injury by prescribed disease is taken to have been suffered (Act s. 10(3)(b))  
           8. Section 10 of Act applies to prescribed diseases suffered on or after 1 July 2024 (Act s. 10(4))  
           9. Prescribed employment and conditions in relation to COVID‑19  
   10.     Prescribed employment and conditions in relation to PTSD  
   11.     Specified diseases for firefighters

   PART 3 -- Worker and employer  

   12.     Prescribed workers and excluded workers (Act s. 13)  
           13. Workers who hold public office  
   14.     Religious workers  
   15.     NDIS support workers  
   16.     Police officers and Aboriginal police liaison officers  
   17.     Crew of fishing vessels not workers  
   18.     Contracted sporting contestants not workers

   PART 4 -- Compensation for injury

           Division 1 -- Claiming compensation and responding to a claim  

   19.     Deemed liability acceptance day  
   20.     Notice of remunerated work  
   21.     Incapacity after claim made  
   22.     Provisional payments day

           Division 2 -- Income compensation  

   23.     Adjusted maximum weekly rate of income compensation amount  
   24.     Minimum weekly rate of income compensation (Act s. 57(7)(d))  
           25. Monetary value of board and lodging  
   26.     Maximum board and lodging daily amount

           Division 3 -- Reducing, suspending and discontinuing income compensation  

   27.     Reducing or discontinuing income compensation on basis of worker’s return to work  
   28.     Reducing or discontinuing income compensation on basis of medical evidence  
   29.     Required declarations provided by non‑resident (Act s. 65(1))  
           30. Suspension of income compensation while worker in custody

           Division 4 -- Compensation for medical and health expenses  

   31.     Term used  
   32.     Prescribed health services  
   33.     Matters of which arbitrator must be satisfied

           Division 5 -- Compensation for miscellaneous expenses  

   34.     Maximum amount payable for wheelchair or similar appliance (Act s. 86(2) and 538(2))  
           35. Travel expenses (Act s. 90(4))

           Division 6 -- Compensation for workplace rehabilitation expenses  

   36.     When it is reasonably necessary to provide workplace rehabilitation services (Act s. 93(3))  
           37. Engaging workplace rehabilitation provider (Act s. 93(3))  
           38. Workplace rehabilitation services that may be provided (Act s. 93(3))  
           39. Terminating workplace rehabilitation services (Act s. 93(3))

           Division 7 -- Compensation for noise‑induced hearing loss

              Subdivision 1 -- Preliminary  

   40.     Terms used  
   41.     Audiological tests and NIHL assessments

              Subdivision 2 -- Audiological tests  

   42.     Persons authorised to perform audiological tests  
   43.     Paying for audiological tests  
   44.     Frequency of audiological tests  
   45.     Performing audiological tests

              Subdivision 3 -- NIHL assessments  

   46.     NIHL assessments  
   47.     Persons authorised to perform NIHL assessments  
   48.     Paying for NIHL assessments  
   49.     Performing NIHL assessments

              Subdivision 4 -- Claiming noise‑induced hearing loss compensation  

   50.     Terms used  
   51.     Making claim for noise‑induced hearing loss compensation  
   52.     Claiming noise‑induced hearing loss compensation when more than 1 employer liable  
   53.     Insured employer must give claim to insurer  
   54.     Worker may give claim to insurer if employer defaults  
   55.     Claim given to WorkCover WA  
   56.     Insurer or self‑insurer to make decision on liability  
   57.     Requirements when decision on liability deferred  
   58.     Application of Act s. 31  
   59.     Determining disputes about hearing loss matters  
   60.     Determining other disputes about liability of employer  
   61.     Time within which to pay compensation  
   62.     Apportionment determination

              Subdivision 5 -- Noise‑induced hearing loss register  

   63.     Noise‑induced hearing loss register  
   64.     Disclosure of information

           Division 8 -- Compensation for death of worker  

   65.     Eligible dependent child allowance  
   66.     Funeral expenses  
   67.     Discharging liability to pay eligible dependent child allowance

           Division 9 -- Settlements  

   68.     Applications for registration of settlement agreements (Act s. 152(1))  
           69. Supporting information and documents (Act s. 152(1)(b))  
           70. Circumstances in which application may be rejected (Act s. 152(3)(b))  
           71. Registration of settlement agreements  
   72.     Register of settlement agreements

   PART 5 -- Injury management

           Division 1 -- Injury management systems  

   73.     Content of injury management system (Act s. 159(3))  
           74. Copy of injury management system document to be given to workers on request

           Division 2 -- Return to work

              Subdivision 1 -- Return to work programs  

   75.     Approved form  
   76.     Worker must have opportunity to participate in establishing return to work program  
   77.     Reasonable steps to ensure worker agrees to content of return to work program  
   78.     Copy of return to work program to be given to worker and medical practitioner  
   79.     Amending return to work program  
   80.     Implementation of return to work program

              Subdivision 2 -- Return to work case conferences  

   81.     Requirement to participate in return to work case conference (Act s. 165(3)(a))  
           82. Conduct of return to work case conference (Act s. 165(3)(b))  
           83. Persons who may attend return to work case conference

           Division 3 -- Certificate of capacity  

   84.     Matters specified in certificate of capacity (Act s. 169(1)(b))  
           85. Who can issue certificate of capacity (Act s. 169(2)(b))

           Division 4 -- Workplace rehabilitation providers  

   86.     Criteria for grant of approval for workplace rehabilitation providers (Act s. 173(2))  
           87. Qualifications, experience and knowledge of rehabilitation consultants

   PART 6 -- Medical assessment

           Division 1 -- Medical examination of worker  

   88.     Frequency and time of medical examinations

           Division 2 -- Assessing degree of permanent impairment  

   89.     Requests for assessment of worker’s degree of permanent impairment  
   90.     Paying for assessments  
   91.     Powers of approved permanent impairment assessors (Act s. 191)  
           92. Period for compliance with requirements

   PART 7 -- Insurance

           Division 1 -- Employer obligations  

   93.     Remuneration paid to or for benefit of workers (Act s. 200)  
           94. Employers required to keep certain records (Act s. 209(1)(d))

           Division 2 -- Licensed insurers  

   95.     Term used  
   96.     Criteria for grant of insurer licence (Act s. 228(2))  
           97. Licensed insurer to give notice of certain events  
   98.     WorkCover WA and APRA may exchange information

           Division 3 -- Insurance obligations of licensed insurers  

   99.     Information reasonably required by licensed insurers (Act s. 236(3))  
           100. Insurance requirement (Act s. 237(1)(g))  
           101. Terms and conditions (Act s. 237(1))  
           102. Licensed insurer permitted to refuse to indemnify employer (Act s. 241(1))  
           103. Cancellation of insurance policy  
   104.    Limits on claims for declared acts of terrorism (Act s. 291)

           Division 4 -- Licensed self‑insurers  

   105.    Criteria for grant of self‑insurer licence

   PART 8 -- Dispute resolution

           Division 1 -- Conciliation and arbitration  

   106.    Authorised agents (Act s. 303)  
           107. Relevant documents (Act s. 306(1))  
           108. Rates of interest  
   109.    Witness allowances (Act s. 380(b))

           Division 2 -- Costs  

   110.    Terms used  
   111.    Application for assessment of costs  
   112.    Taxing officer may require copy of application to be given to other persons  
   113.    Taxing officer may require documents or further particulars  
   114.    Consideration of application  
   115.    Assessment to give effect to order and costs determination  
   116.    Matters to be considered by taxing officer  
   117.    Costs of assessment  
   118.    Enforcement of assessment  
   119.    Correction of error

   PART 9 -- Common law  

   120.    Election to retain right to seek damages  
   121.    Requirement to record election  
   122.    Maximum damages award for less than 25% impairment

   PART 10 -- Management and disclosure of information

           Division 1 -- General  

   123.    Terms used

           Division 2 -- Giving or lodging EDS documents or notices using EDS  

   124.    Requirement to lodge EDS documents using EDS (Act s. 497(3)(a))  
           125. EDS exempt  
   126.    EDS unavailable or person EDS exempt  
   127.    When EDS document is taken to have been lodged (Act s. 497(3)(c))  
           128. When Director is taken to have given notice or copy of document in relation to EDS document (Act s. 497(3)(c))  
           129. Complete and legible documents

           Division 3 -- Giving documents generally  

   130.    Application of Division  
   131.    Giving documents (Act s. 497(3)(a))  
           132. When document is taken to have been given using email (Act s. 497(3)(c))

           Division 4 -- Status and effect of documents given or lodged electronically using EDS or email  

   133.    Electronic lodgment of documents (Act s. 497(3)(f))

   PART 11 -- Variation of adjustable amounts  

   134.    General maximum amounts (Act s. 538(3))

   PART 12 -- Miscellaneous

           Division 1 -- Inspectors  

   135.    Identification of inspectors (Act s. 509(2)(b))

           Division 2 -- Infringements  

   136.    Prescribed offences and modified penalties (Act s. 522)  
           137. Approved officers and authorised officers  
   138.    Forms

           Division 3 -- Employment connected with State  

   139.    Adjacent areas of a State

           Division 4 -- Registered independent agents  

   140.    Terms used  
   141.    Conditions on registration of registered independent agents (Act s. 578(6)(b))  
           142. Suspension or cancellation of independent agent’s registration (Act s. 578(6)(d))  
           143. Review by State Administrative Tribunal (Act s. 578(6)(e))  
           144. Compliance audits and investigations (Act s. 578(6)(f))  
           145. Requirement to provide information or documents to WorkCover WA (Act s. 578(6)(g))  
           146. Obligations of registered independent agents during transition period (Act s. 578(6)(j))

   PART 13 -- Transitional provisions

           Division 1 -- General transitional provisions  

   147.    Deemed disputed claims under former Act

           Division 2 -- Noise‑induced hearing loss  

   148.    Terms used  
   149.    Noise‑induced hearing loss before 1 March 1991  
   150.    Pending noise‑induced hearing loss claims  
   151.    Full audiometric tests  
   152.    Otorhinolaryngological assessments  
   153.    Noise‑induced hearing loss register
           SCHEDULE 1 -- Prescribed diseases and prescribed employment
           SCHEDULE 2 -- Religious workers and religious bodies
           SCHEDULE 3 -- Workers Compensation Policy  
           SCHEDULE 4 -- Prescribed offences and modified penalties
           SCHEDULE 5 -- Infringement notice forms
           SCHEDULE 6 -- Adjacent areas  
           SCHEDULE 7 -- Registered Independent Agents Code of Conduct