Assess permanent impairment
The Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (the Act) requires that all medical practitioners who intend to assess permanent impairment must be accredited by the WorkCover Tasmania Board.
The Act (as amended) provides for the payment of lump sum compensation to a worker who suffers permanent impairment as a result of a work-related injury.
Lump sum compensation may only be awarded where
- the degree of whole person impairment (WPI) is at least 5% in the case of physical injury other than an injury involving the loss of a finger or toe, and at least 10% in the case of psychiatric impairment.
- In the case of industrial deafness, lump sum compensation may only be awarded where the level of binaural hearing impairment exceeds 5%.
- In addition, the Act precludes a worker from taking action for damages at common law where the degree of permanent impairment is less than 30% (WPI).
The Act provides that the assessment of the degree of permanent impairment is to be made in accordance with guidelines issued by the WorkCover Tasmania Board, or if no applicable guidelines have been issued, the American Medical Association Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (Fourth Edition, Third Printing) 1995 (AMA 4 Guides).
To be eligible to apply it is a requirement to have undertaken a course of training in the assessment of impairment coordinated by the AMA Victoria.
If you are a registered medical practitioner and wish to apply for accreditation you will need to
- complete and return an application for accreditation to assess the degree of a worker’s impairment.
Following approval by the Board, you will be eligible for accreditation as a medical practitioner to assess permanent impairment in accordance with sections 77A, 77B & 77C of the Act and regulation 19 of the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Regulations 2001
