MINISTERIAL ORDER NO. 19/INSURANCE DATED 24.10.1976
WITH RESPECT TO PERMITTING A REDUCTION IN THE RATE OF
CONTRIBUTION TO INSURANCE BRANCH AGAINST EMPLOYMENT
ACCIDENTS FOR BAHRAIN PETROLEUM COMPANY LIMITED
The Minister for Labour and Social Affairs,
After referring to Article 47 and 48 of law on Social Insurance, issued by Decree law No. 24/1976.
And to the communication submitted by the Bahrain Petroleum Company Limited, dated the 5th and 28th of September 1976 and 17th of October 1976 requesting a reduction of one-third of the contribution to the branch of insurance against employment accidents, against the company's payment of the daily allowances and transport expenses for all its employees and workers who suffer from employment accidents or any occupational disease and the payment of the said allowances being in accordance with the provisions of Articles 52, 53, 54, 68, 69 and 70 of the aforementioned Law and at the rate of another one-third against the Company's commitment to undertake the treatment for employment accidents and occupational diseases at its own hospital,
And after referring to our own two communications to the aforementioned Company bearing No. 2/T-A/1976 dated 11.9.1976 and No. 14/T-A/1976 dated 3.10.1976;
And as the said Company has taken the decision in its aforementioned letters to express assent to our viewpoint contained in our said communications;
And upon the submission of the Director General of the General Organisation for Social Insurance,
Hereby orders :
Article 1
The insurance contribution against employment accidents and occupational diseases shall be reduced for the Bahrain Petroleum Company Ltd., at an amount of two thirds for a period of fifteen months commencing from the 1st of October 1976 on the following basis:
The aforementioned Company shall undertake the treatment of all its employees and workers without any manner of discrimination to them either with respect to the standard of treatment or accommodation at the Company's hospital in the case of employment accident or occupational disease to any of them and the said treatment shall always be in accordance with the standards set out in the above mentioned Law on Social Insurance and the Ministerial Orders governing its implementation and any others issued therefor and in accordance with any others that have been agreed upon in the aforementioned communications exchanged and in particular, the following;
All the workers and employees who sustain an employment accident or suffer from occupational disease, shall benefit equally from the medical treatment and accommodation offered by the Company's hospital; irrespective of their wages or positions or nationalities.
The Company's hospital shall offer services with respect to dentist, gynaecology and examinations pertaining to medical diagnosis of any kind or nature including laboratory services or medical tests.
The employee or the worker shall, at the Company's expense, stay at a convalescence centre, if such need arose.
If the required medical treatment for the injured worker or employee were not available at the Company's own hospital, the Company shall bear the expenses of treatment at another hospital, whether in the country or abroad, inclusive of those incurred for travel and lodging in the last case. If the Medical Board were of the view that the interests of the injured demanded that a person should accompany him abroad, the expenses incurred thereby for the companion's travel and accommodation should be borne by the company.
Cases of relapse to employment injury or occupational disease or the occurrence of any complication thereof after the worker's or the employee's return to work, should be viewed and treated by the company in the same manner as it had done with respect to treatment, allowances, transport expenditure and whatever ensues even after the course of treatment of the said injury. It is also provided that the Company shall incur the expenses of treatment of its employees or workers, If he sustained an employment injury when he is on an assignment abroad.
The Company shall be responsible for treatment of its workers or employees if any of them showed, within one year of the termination of his service, symptoms of any occupational disease even if the said worker or employee was unemployed or was engaged in any profession or employment which will not cause such disease.
The Company shall undertake the treatment of its workers and employees and the payment of daily allowances indicated in the Law even if the responsibility for the injury could be imputed to one other than the employer. The Company shall also undertake the treatment of its workers and employees with respect to injuries sustained on their journeys to and from work and the payment of the aforementioned daily allowances.
The Company shall undertake to resume the treatment of the worker or employee at its hospital if the Medical Board concerned decided on the discontinuance of the treatment and the need to stay on therein until the restoration of his condition to normalcy. The company shall also endorse the decision of the Medical Board concerned and the Appellate Medical Board provided that the company shall pay the remuneration of the chairman and members of each of the two boards in accordance with the prescribed rates.
As and when necessary the company shall provide its workers and employees with upper artificial productive limbs (hooks) and lower ones obtained from abroad if they are not available locally as well as spectacles, lenses, artificial teeth, audio apparatus, wheel chairs, false eyes, and wigs for female workers and female employees when they are found to be necessary and also any medical or surgical equipment to off-set any repercussion of the injury. The foregoing provisions shall be in accordance with the decision taken by the Medical Board concerned or by the Appellate Medical Board. The Company or its hospital shall provide treatments for cosmetic disfigurements arising from the effects of employment accident if the said disfigurements interfered with the pursuit of his profession or his social life. The foregoing provisions, too, are subject to the recommendations of the Medical Board concerned or the Appellate Medical Board.
The Company shall undertake to maintain the hooks, equipment and other appliances, provided for in paragraph one of this article, and their repair and substitution, at its own expense.
The Company's hospital shall undertake to examine medically its workers and employees periodically, who are subject to occupational diseases and it shall submit its report to the General Organisation for Social Insurance of its diagnosis of the condition of the said workers and employees.
The hospital shall maintain the documents containing an account of the accidents for a period of at least 5 years from the date of the last document with respect to each case. And the Company is required to implement the provisions stipulated in the Ministerial Order issued by us bearing No. 6/Insurance dated 4.9.1976 with respect to executive procedures for the insurance branch against employment accidents as well as its obligation to implement in the future whatever is issued by way of Ministerial Orders and instructions regarding this branch of insurance.
The Company shall pay the daily allowances and transport charges to its workers or employees who sustain employment accidents or suffer from occupational diseases. The payment of the said allowances shall be in accordance with the provisions of articles 52, 53, 54, 68, 69 and 70 of the above-mentioned Law on Social Insurance.
We reserve to ourselves the right to lay down other and further stipulations if it is deemed necessary.
It is incumbent on the Company to comply with the provisions of the aforementioned Law on Social Insurance, the Ministerial Orders and any amendments thereon with respect to executive procedures, by carrying them out.
Article 2
The daily allowances shall be paid by the Company at the rate or rates prescribed by the Company if higher than those required by the said Social Insurance Law to the worker or the employee, who sustains an employment accident or suffers from an occupational disease, during the period of his disability for work due to the accident or the occupational disease and until he recovers or his condition stabilizes.
Article 3
The reduction, granted to the aforementioned Company with respect to contribution for insurance against employment accidents under the provisions of this order, shall be treated as a temporary measure for the period as indicated in the provision of Article 1 of this Order. However, the said concession to the Company shall automatically cease, without any manner of notice from the Ministry concerned if and when the said Company contravenes any of or some or all the obligations mentioned in the aforementioned Article 1 or Article 2 of this Order or any orders issued in this respect.
Article 4
This Order shall be submitted to the Board of Directors of the General Organisation for Social Insurance at its first meeting.
Article 5
This Order shall be published in the Official Gazette and it shall come into effect from the first day of October 1976.
Essa bin Mohamed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa
Minister for Labour and Social Affairs
Dated : 24.10.1976