When an employee is injured at work, most South African employers’ first instinct is to arrange medical care. The second — less consistently — is to document what happened. What many employers do not know is that the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA) requires them to formally report the accident to the Compensation Fund within seven days of learning about it. Missing that window is not only a compliance failure — it can jeopardise the employee’s compensation claim and expose the employer to personal liability.
The reporting obligation is not complex, but it has specific requirements: a prescribed form, specific submission channels, and a separate 14-day window for occupational diseases. And from January 2026, a package of COIDA amendments came into force that materially changed what is covered, who can claim, and how long employers must retain records. Every South African employer needs to understand both the reporting obligations and what changed.
The 7-day rule: what it requires
All workplace accidents must be reported to the Compensation Fund within seven days of the employer learning about the incident. The clock starts from the moment the employer receives notice of the accident — not from the date the accident occurred, and not from when the employee returns from hospital.
The reporting obligation applies whenever an employee sustains an injury that:
- Arises out of and in the course of their employment
- Results in personal injury requiring medical treatment
- Results in the employee being unable to work for more than three days
- Results in the death of the employee
The threshold is not serious injury or permanent disability. If a workplace incident requires any medical treatment beyond basic first aid, it should be reported. Erring on the side of reporting is always the safer position — failing to report when required is an offence under COIDA. Reporting when not strictly required has no negative consequence.
An employer who fails to report within seven days is guilty of a criminal offence under COIDA. Beyond the criminal exposure, a failure to report can complicate the employee’s compensation claim — the Fund may delay or refuse payment if the employer has not filed the required notice, and if COIDA cover lapses at the time of injury due to an expired Letter of Good Standing, the employer becomes personally liable for the full cost of compensation and treatment.
The 14-day rule: occupational diseases
Occupational diseases must be reported within 14 days of diagnosis. An occupational disease is a condition caused or worsened by the nature of the work — occupational lung disease in mining, chemical exposure in manufacturing, repetitive strain injuries, noise-induced hearing loss, and, from January 2026, post-traumatic stress disorder arising from workplace incidents.
The 14-day window runs from the date of medical diagnosis, not from when symptoms first appeared. In practice, this means the employer’s reporting obligation is triggered when a doctor confirms the occupational disease diagnosis — the employer should have a process in place to be notified promptly when this happens rather than finding out weeks later.
How to report: the W.Cl.2 form
The prescribed form for reporting a workplace accident is the W.Cl.2 — Notice of Accident and Claim for Compensation. This form must be completed and submitted to the Compensation Fund whenever an employee meets with an accident arising from employment that results in personal injury, requires medical treatment, or results in death.
The form has two parts:
Part A— completed by the employer. Contains full details of the employer, the employee, the accident, and the circumstances. The employer signs and dates Part A.
Part B— an automatic copy of Part A that is detached and handed to the employee. The employee gives Part B to the treating doctor or hospital. In serious cases, Part B must be handed directly to emergency services personnel who respond to the incident.
The W.Cl.2 is submitted to the Compensation Fund through the CompEasy systemat cfportal.labour.gov.za — the Department of Employment and Labour’s online portal for COIDA submissions. This is the same portal used for Return of Earnings submissions and Letter of Good Standing applications.
Employers who are not yet registered on CompEasy should do so before an accident occurs — attempting to register and report simultaneously under a 7-day deadline is avoidable stress.
Additional forms that may be required
W.Cl.14— required if the injured employee is no longer employed by the employer at the time the claim is being processed. Ensures the compensation process continues even after the employee has left the organisation.
Assault questionnaire— if the injury was caused by an assault, detailed questionnaires or reports must accompany the W.Cl.2 to give the Compensation Commissioner full information about the incident.
Medical reports— the treating doctor submits their own forms directly to the Fund. The employer is responsible for the W.Cl.2; the doctor is responsible for the medical documentation. Both must be filed for a claim to be processed.
The 2026 COIDA amendments: what changed
On 23 January 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa published Proclamation Notice 306 of 2026, bringing into force key provisions of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Amendment Act 10 of 2022. The amendments are implemented in phases: 23 January 2026, 1 February 2026, and 1 April 2026.
These are the most significant changes to COIDA since the original Act. Every employer needs to understand what is new.
PTSD is now formally recognised as an occupational disease
Post-traumatic stress disorder is formally recognised as an occupational disease under COIDA from January 2026. This confirms and extends a position that South African courts had been moving toward in recent case law. An employee who develops PTSD as a direct result of a workplace incident — a violent robbery, a traumatic accident, exposure to a fatal incident — is now entitled to Compensation Fund cover for treatment and compensation for resulting disablement.
For employers, this means the 14-day occupational disease reporting window now extends to PTSD diagnoses arising from workplace incidents. A security guard who witnesses a violent attack and is subsequently diagnosed with PTSD; a factory worker who survives a serious machinery accident and develops PTSD — both are now covered by COIDA. Employers must report these cases to the Fund within 14 days of diagnosis.
Work-related training injuries are now covered
Injuries sustained during work-related training conducted in furtherance of the employer’s business now fall within COIDA’s protective scope. Previously, whether injuries during off-site training, induction programmes, or skills development activities were covered by COIDA depended on the circumstances and was frequently disputed. The amendment resolves this — if the training is conducted for the employer’s business purposes, COIDA applies.
Employers who send employees on external training programmes, induction courses, or work-related upskilling activities need to ensure their COIDA registration and Letter of Good Standing are current. If an employee is injured during such a programme and the employer’s LOGS is expired, the personal liability exposure applies.
Commuter accidents now covered
COIDA’s scope has been extended to cover accidents which occur when transport is provided by the employer to enable employees to commute to or from the workplace. Cover is deemed to commence when an employee reaches the designated pick-up point and continues until the employer’s designated drop-off point.
This is a practical extension that addresses a common gap. Employers who provide shuttle services, minibus taxis, or other transport arrangements for employees now carry COIDA reporting obligations for accidents that occur during that commute — not only accidents that occur at the physical workplace.
Claims prescription extended from 12 months to 3 years
The prescription period for compensation claims has been extended from 12 months to three years from the date of the accident. This means employees have three years, not one, to submit a compensation claim after a workplace accident or occupational disease diagnosis.
For employers, this has a direct record-keeping implication. The three-year prescription period means accident records, W.Cl.2 submissions, medical reports, and related documentation must be retained for at least three years after any incident. Employers with retention policies based on the old 12-month prescription window need to update them.
Statutory rehabilitation framework established
A new Chapter VIIA inserted into COIDA establishes a statutory rehabilitation and reintegration framework, placing positive obligations on the Compensation Fund, employers, and licensees to provide facilities, services, and benefits aimed at rehabilitating employees who have suffered occupational injuries or diseases, with the goal of returning injured employees to productive work.
The rehabilitation provisions create a formal return-to-work obligation framework. Employers who have historically managed injured employees’ return to work informally will need to document their rehabilitation processes. The Minister has published regulations governing the implementation of return-to-work and rehabilitation programmes — employers with significant headcount or high-risk work environments should review these regulations and formalise their processes accordingly.
What employers need to have in place
The combination of the existing 7-day and 14-day reporting obligations with the 2026 amendments creates a clear set of requirements:
Registered on CompEasy before an accident happens. Log in to cfportal.labour.gov.za, complete your employer registration, and verify that your COIDA registration details are current. The 7-day clock does not pause while you set up a portal account.
Current Letter of Good Standing. An expired LOGS at the time of an accident means the Fund may refuse the claim and the employer becomes personally liable. The LOGS renewal date is linked to your Return of Earnings submission. If you are not certain whether your LOGS is current, check it now.
W.Cl.2 forms available on site. Each supervisor or site manager who might need to initiate an injury report should know where to find the W.Cl.2 and how to complete Part A. The form is available on the CompEasy portal.
A clear internal reporting chain.When an accident happens, the clock starts immediately. The sequence — notify HR or management, initiate W.Cl.2, arrange medical care and give Part B to the treating doctor — should be documented, known, and rehearsed before it is needed.
Updated record retention policy. Post-2026 amendments, accident records and related documentation must be retained for at least three years.
PTSD and mental health incidents on your radar. The PTSD recognition change requires employers to treat psychological injury reports with the same procedural rigour as physical injuries. If an employee reports mental health symptoms following a workplace incident, the 14-day clock for occupational disease reporting applies from the date of diagnosis.
Check your COIDA standing now — before the question becomes urgent
ClearComply tracks your COIDA Letter of Good Standing as part of its compliance dashboard. The free compliance check at clearcomply.co.za/check confirms whether your LOGS is current in 30 seconds — before an accident makes the question urgent.
For the full guide to COIDA registration, Return of Earnings, and Letter of Good Standing, see our COIDA employer guide. For the OHS obligations that complement COIDA in managing workplace safety, see our OHS compliance analysis.
Sources: Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993 — sections on employer reporting obligations. COIDA Amendment Act 10 of 2022, brought into force by Proclamation Notice 306 of 2026 (23 January 2026). Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Employment Law Alert, 12 March 2026 — “COIDA Amendments now in force.” Department of Employment and Labour Compensation Fund sector workshop, KwaZulu-Natal, November 2025. Labour Guide South Africa — W.Cl.2 claiming procedure. All statutory references verified against official government publications.