Workmen’s Compensation (Amendment) Act 1990

REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE

GOVERNMENT GAZETTE

ACTS SUPPLEMENT

Published by Authority

NO. 20]

Saturday, September 1

[1990

The following Act was passed by Parliament on 18th July 1990 and assented to by the President on 23rd August 1990:—

Workmen’s Compensation (Amendment) Act 1990

(No. 16 of 1990)

I assent.

WEE KIM WEE

President.

23rd August 1990.

Date of Commencement: 1st September 1990

An Act to amend the Workmen’s Compensation Act (Chapter 354 of the 1985 Revised Edition).

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Workmen’s Compensation (Amendment) Act 1990.

Amendment of section 8

2. Section 8(1) of the Workmen’s Compensation Act (referred to in this Act as the principal Act) is amended —

(a)

by deleting paragraph (b) and substituting the following paragraph:

“(b)	where the workman has been exclusively employed by the employer for any period which is less than a month, his monthly earnings shall be deemed to be the earnings he would have received for the whole month;”;

(b)

by deleting the semicolon at the end of paragraph (c) and substituting a full-stop; and

(c)

by deleting paragraph (d).

Amendment of section 12

3. Section 12 of the principal Act is amended —

(a)

by deleting subsection (1) and substituting the following subsection:

“(1) Every employer shall give notice to the Commissioner in the prescribed form and to his insurer in writing of the occurrence of any accident as follows:

(a)	where the accident results in death, within 10 days of its occurrence;
(b)	where the accident results in any incapacity that renders the workman unfit for work for more than 14 days, within 18 days of its occurrence; and
(c)	where the accident results in any incapacity that renders the workman unfit for work for 14 days or less, not later than the 15th day of the month following its occurrence.”; and

(b)

by deleting “$1,000” in subsection (2) and substituting “$2,000”.

Amendment of section 23

4. Section 23 (3) of the principal Act is amended by deleting “$4,000” and substituting “$10,000”.

Amendment of section 24

5. Section 24 of the principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after subsection (7), the following subsections:

“(8) For the purposes of this section, the Commissioner may by notice in writing require any person to attend at such time and place as may be specified in the notice and to produce any document concerning any injured workman and to answer any question relating to his employment and the accident.

(9) Any person who fails to attend or to produce any document as required in the notice under subsection (8) and any person who gives any answer which he knows to be untrue shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to both.”.

Amendment of First Schedule

6. The First Schedule to the principal Act is amended —

(a)

by deleting items 15 to 20 and substituting the following items:

“

15. Loss of thumb —

(a) both phalanges

(b) one phalanx

16. Loss of index finger —

(a) three phalanges

(b) two phalanges

17. Loss of middle finger —

(a) three phalanges

(b) two phalanges

18. Loss of ring finger —

(a) three phalanges

(b) two phalanges

19. Loss of little finger —

(a) three phalanges

(b) two phalanges

20. Loss of metacarpals —

(a) first or second (additional)

(b) third, fourth or fifth (additional)

”; and

(b)

by deleting item 23 and substituting the following item:

“

23. Loss of toes —

(a) all of one foot

(b) great, both phalanges

(d) other than great, if more than one toe lost, each

”.

Amendment of Third Schedule

7. The Third Schedule to the principal Act is amended —

(a)

by deleting the words “$45,000 or be less than $15,000” in paragraph 1(2) and substituting the words “$78,000 or be less than $26,000”;

(b)

by deleting the words “$60,000 or be less than $20,000” in paragraph 2(2) and substituting the words “$105,000 or be less than $35,000”; and

(c)

by deleting paragraphs 4 and 5 and substituting the following paragraphs:

“4.—(1) Where temporary incapacity whether total or partial results from the injury, the workman shall be entitled to full earnings for a period of 60 days if he is hospitalised and 14 days if he is not hospitalised and thereafter to a payment every month of an amount equal to two-thirds of his monthly earnings during the incapacity or during a period of one year, whichever period is shorter.

(2) No monthly payment under sub-paragraph (1) shall be deducted from the lump sum payable in respect of any permanent incapacity which follows any period of temporary incapacity.

(3) Where the temporary incapacity ceases in any month in which the workman is entitled to receive a monthly payment under sub-paragraph (1), he shall be paid in respect of that month an amount proportionate to the duration of the incapacity during that month.

(4) For the purposes of this paragraph, where a workman is certified by a medical practitioner of an approved hospital to be ill enough to need to be hospitalised but the workman is not hospitalised for any reason whatsoever, he shall be deemed to be hospitalised.

5. The Minister may by order vary the maximum or minimum amount of compensation payable under paragraphs 1(2) and 2(2).”.

Miscellaneous amendments

8. The principal Act is amended by deleting the word “half-monthly” wherever it appears in the following provisions and substituting in each case the word “monthly”:

Sections 9(5)(b), 10, 13(1), 13(7)(a), 15(1), 15(2), 16, 19(5) and 20 (d).

Application of sections 6 and 7

9. Sections 6 and 7 shall apply to claims for compensation in respect of accidents which occurred on or after 1st May 1990.

Search within Legislation