Know the law

If a worker is injured or becomes ill during work, the employer shall immediately notify the police and the Ministry of Labour and provide the worker’s name, age, occupation, address, nationality, and a brief description of the accident and its circumstances, said Legal Consultant Hassan Elhais from Al Rowad Advocates.

He said the police will investigate, question witnesses including the employer and the injured worker if his condition permits. All questioning should be on record and must indicate whether the incident happened as a result of inadequate safety measures or it was committed intentionally or as a result of gross misconduct by the worker. If investigations conclude that the employer was responsible for the accident by failing to provide the safety measures he must pay for the treatment expenses in addition to the worker’s salary during the treatment period. “Articles from 142 to 153 from Labour Law number 8/1980 details the compensation amounts to pay for injured workers according to the injury rates calculated by a medical committee, and if a complete permanent disability happened, the worker is entitled to a compensation equal to that paid in cases of death,” said Elhais.

The injured worker shall not be entitled to compensation for injury or disability if the investigation proves that the act was deliberate with the intention of committing suicide, obtaining compensation or sick leave or if the worker was found to be under the influence of alcohol.