Indian Journal of Ophthalmology

ARTICLE
Year
: 1968  |  Volume : 16  |  Issue : 4  |  Page : 243--244

Compensation in industrial ocular injuries


TN Gupta 
 Dept. of Ophth., Main Hospital, Bhilai Steel Plant, Bhilai. (M.P.), India

Correspondence Address:
T N Gupta
Dept. of Ophth., Main Hospital, Bhilai Steel Plant, Bhilai. (M.P.)
India




How to cite this article:
Gupta T N. Compensation in industrial ocular injuries.Indian J Ophthalmol 1968;16:243-244


How to cite this URL:
Gupta T N. Compensation in industrial ocular injuries. Indian J Ophthalmol [serial online] 1968 [cited 2024 Mar 29 ];16:243-244
Available from: https://journals.lww.com/ijo/pages/default.aspx/text.asp?1968/16/4/243/37565


Full Text

To deal with this matter one has to revise virtually the whole of WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACT.

The workmen's compensation Act which came into force from 1-7-1924 has been amended several times. It has been enacted to provide for pay�ment by certain classes of employers to their workmen for compensation for injuries by accident occurring during discharge of their duties.

In 1929 an amendment removed restriction on compensation in build�ing trades. In 1931 the categories of workmen covered by the Act were increased, scales of compensation were raised and the waiting period re�duced. In 1946 the wage limit of a worker covered by the Act was increased from Rs. 300/- to 400/-.

The workman's compensation Act of 1946 should be further revised and provision should be made for tempo�rary workers also.

A workman is defined as any per�son whose employment is not of a casual nature.

Total disablement means such dis�ablement temporary or permanent as incapacitates a workman for all work which he was capable of doing at the time of accident.

Partial disablement means one of temporary nature which reduces the earning capacity of a workman for the profession he has been following at the time of accident. It is called permanent when it reduces the earn�ing capacity in any profession even employed elsewhere.

Compensation is paid in all acci�dent cases except:

1) When injury does not disable totally or partially.

2) When workman is under in�fluence of drink,

3) When a workman disobeys clear orders regarding safety.

4) When a workman disregards safety devices.

No claim for compensation can be entertained unless notice has been gi�ven as soon as practicable after the accident, but within 2 years of oc�currence of death, disability or ac�cident.

 PRE-RECRUITMENT MEDICAL EXAMINATION



This is a very important factor if we are not going to be caught un�awares when an accident occurs. The medical examination should be by an Industrial Medical Officer or a Board of Specialists.

Haphazard record of vision may give rise to a lot of difficulties later. Several cases have been discovered by me (on a routine check-up of our records) where vision has been re�corded as, both eyes = 6/6. Prob�ably in such cases vision was record�ed by a general duty doctor with both eyes together. After an acci�dent the workman can claim that each eye was normal. One eye how�ever may have been blind at the time of employment.

Colour vision must be recorded in all cases whether good colour vision is essential for the job or not. A workman not requiring good colour vision at time of recruitment may be transferred later to a job where good colour vision is essential. Leaving aside railway jobs and crane ope�rators etc in whom good colour vi�sion is essential, ordinary workers like electricians require good colour vision. The colour of wires red, blue and green if mistaken may lead to se�rious accident and death. In all such cases heavy compensation may have to be paid just because proper medi�cal examination was not undertaken earlier.

MALINGERING:- Many people pose a problem to the Industrial Oph�thalmologist by malingering. A few examples will help.

1) C. R. was exposed to hot coal tar gases and developed severe con�junctivitis in both eyes. It settled down in two days after which period a thin nebula was discovered on the left cornea reducing his vision to 6/36 with best correction. His pre-recruit�ment records showed "Vision both eyes = 6/6". Even six months after the accident the nebula was as be�fore and must have been there be�fore the accident. The latter fact however could not be proved and a partial disability compensation had to be paid.

2) 2 years after a hot metal burn on face and hands J.G.P. claimed his reduced eye-sight was due to acci�dent. On examination he was found to have myopic astigmatisum which could be corrected to 6/6. No com�pensation was paid inspite of loud protests by the worker and the work�ers' Union.

3) S.S. after a head injury at work was alright for 6 months. Then he reported loss of sight in the left eye. A simple fogging test proved him to be faking blindness.

Role of corneal opacities

Industrial trauma causing Corneal opacities can be of a multiple nature. A simple tiny corneal foreign body nay become infected giving rise to a sloughing corneal ulcer and a thick corneal leucoma.

Panophthalmitis and loss of eye has been noted in some cases. The cases of lucomas must be submitted to keratoplasty before compensation is decided.

Scales of Compensation:�

1. Loss of sight to such an extent as to render the claimant unable to perform any work for which eye sight is essential 100% loss of earning capacity.

2) Loss of one eye: (other eye be�ing normal) 40% loss of earning ca�pacity.

3) Loss of vision of one eye with�out complication or disfigurement 30% loss of earning capacity.

Schedule of Payment [Table 1]