Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981

CHAPTER 5

Occupational Injury Benefits

Preliminary

Interpretation.

[1966 OI, s. 1]

36.—(1) In this Chapter, save where the context otherwise requires—

“apprentice” means a person undergoing full-time training for any trade, business, profession, office, employment or vocation;

“approved hospital treatment” has the meaning specified in section 63 (2);

“claimant” means a person claiming occupational injuries benefit and also includes an applicant for a declaration that an accident was or was not an occupational accident, and reference to a claim shall be construed accordingly;

“the deceased” means, in relation to death benefit, the person in respect of whose death the benefit is claimed or payable;

“disablement gratuity” has the meaning specified in section 43 (7);

“disablement pension” has the meaning specified in section 43 (8) or (9);

“injury benefit period” means, in relation to any accident, the period of 156 days (Sundays being disregarded) beginning with the day of the accident, or the part of that period for which, under section 43 (2), disablement benefit in respect of the accident is not available to the insured person;

“medical examination” includes bacteriological and radiographical tests and similar investigations, and references to being medically examined shall be construed accordingly;

“medical treatment” has the meaning specified in section 63 (1);

“occupational accident” has the meaning specified in section 60 ;

“relevant accident” and “relevant injury” mean respectively, in relation to any benefit, the accident and injury in respect of which the benefit is claimed or payable; and “relevant loss of faculty” means the loss of faculty resulting from the relevant injury;

“unemployability supplement” has the meaning specified in section 45 (3).

(2) References in this Chapter to loss of physical faculty shall be construed as including references to disfigurement, whether or not accompanied by any actual loss of faculty.