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Glossary of Terms
The following list includes some of the terms
and abbreviations used in Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)
files or articles dealing with workplace insurance.
The Act:
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997, which repealed and
replaced the Workers' Compensation Act.
Adjudicate:
Decide a claim.
AE or A/E:
Accident Employer.
A/P:
After payment.
AO or A/O:
WSIB area office.
Assignment:
A transfer, in writing, to another agency of any WSIB money that
might become payable to you, to reimburse the other agency for money
it paid you. For example, if you had to collect employment insurance
(EI) benefits while waiting for WSIB to decide your claim, EI would
ask for an assignment. Later, when WSIB allowed your claim it would
have to first pay EI back for any money you had received in the
same period.
ADR:
Alternative dispute resolution.
Aggravation:
When you have a pre-existing condition which may or may not be work
related and work makes your condition worse, either temporarily
or permanently.
Appellant:
The worker (or the employer) who is appealing a WSIB decision.
ARO:
Appeals Resolution Officer - A senior WSIB staff person employed
by the Appeals Branch. The ARO level is the first level of appeal
for negative decisions by WSIB Claim Adjudicators.
Claim:
This is what the WSIB calls your request for compensation benefits.
C.A.:
WSIB Claim Adjudicator.
CL:
Closed file or claim status.
COMP:
Compensation.
CPP:
Canada Pension Plan (Benefits).
DIFF:
Difference between present and pre-accident wages.
DOA:
Date of accident.
DRC:
Downsview Rehabilitation Centre.
DRB:
The former Decision Review Branch, which used to be the first level
of appeal at the Board. If the last decision in a claim is at DRB
level, the appeal is to the ARO.
DX:
Diagnosis
Earnings Basis:
The pre-accident wage rate on which WSIB benefits are based.
ENT:
Entitlement.
ESRTW:
Early and safe return to work.
EXT:
Extend.
Examine / Examination:
When used in the context of a hearing it means to question a witness.
Entitlement:
Your rights to benefits as they are set out in the Workplace Safety
and Insurance Act,1997 or WSIB policy.
Evidence:
All the documents, medical opinions and statements, which are required
in order to make a decision on your claim.
FAE:
Functional Assessment Evaluation.
FEL:
Future Economic Loss
FU:
Follow up.
Health care benefits:
Reimbursement or payment for the services of doctors, chiropractors,
physiotherapists, etc., or for such things as medicine, slings,
casts, splints, or special shoes.
Hearing:
When an Appeals Resolution Officer from WSIB or a WSIAT (see below)
Vice-Chair or a Panel (see below) sits to listen to your appeal.:
A process similar to a trial, although less formal, when all the
evidence and relevant law in your case is heard. At the WSIB a hearing
would before an Appeals Resolution Officer and at WSIAT it would
be before a Vice-Chair or Panel.
Hearsay:
Evidence that is not from the personal knowledge of a witness, but
just repetition of what the witness has heard others say.
ID&DS:
(Currently ODD.) Industrial Diseases and Dependents Section
IW:
Injured Worker.
Implementation:
When the WSIB acts on, or puts into effect, a decision.
IE:
Injured Employee. (Also IW)
ISU:
Integrated Service Unit.
Issue:
The question that needs to be resolved at an appeal.
Jurisdiction:
The power, right or authority given by the Workplace Safety and
Insurance Act, 1997 to interpret and apply law or policy.
LDW:
Last day worked.
LFW:
Looking for work.
LMR:
Labour Market Re-entry.
LOE:
Loss of Earning (benefit):
MA:
Medical Aid.
Merit:
Favourable or positive view of a claim.
MMR:
Maximum Medical Recovery - a stage in a healing process of an injured
worker where the condition has "plateaued", or is not
likely to improve or deteriorate.
MTC:
Medical treatment control.- when the Board seeks reasons from the
workers physician to explain why a recovery from an injury exceeds
usual time lines or an uncommon or an addictive drug is prescribed.
MVA:
Motor Vehicle Accident.
NAE:
Net Average Earnings
NEL:
Non-economic loss benefit, based on an assessment of a loss of bodily
function.
NFA:
No further action on claim.
NLT:
No lost time claim.
Non-Comp:
Non-compensable injury or disability not covered by WSIB.
Objective Findings:
Something measured or observed by a medical doctor that provides
evidence of your disability.
ODD:
Occupational Disease Division of WSIB.
OEA:
Office of the Employer Adviser.
OHCOW:
Occupational Health Clinic for Ontario Workers.
OHRC:
Ontario Human Rights Commission.
OP:
Overpayment of benefits.
Operational Policy Manual:
A binder of WSIB Policies, which Adjudicators use to interpret and
apply the Act.
O/S:
Outstanding.
OWA:
Office of the Worker Adviser.
OWS:
Older Worker Supplement.
PA:
Pensions adjudicator.
Panel :
A three person team at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals
Tribunal that decides a case. It consists of the Vice-Chair (see
below) and two side members. One side member is always from the
employer community and the other side member is always from the
worker community.
PC:
1) Personal coverage: (i.e. owner operators), or
2) Prior claims for compensation
PD:
Permanent disability.
Pension:
Often used by workers to refer to PPD (see below).
PI:
Permanent Impairment
PMT:
Payment.
Policy:
The written rules the WSIB uses to interpret and apply the Act to
individual cases.
PPD (Permanent Partial Disability):
payment of an award or pension for a permanent partial disability
for workers injured before 1990.
Precedent:
An earlier decision with similar facts and/or legal principles that
can be used to support a finding, particularly at WSIAT level.
Probative Value:
The quality of evidence in determining a fact that is being disputed.
The more the evidence tends to prove the fact, the greater its probative
value.
Proof:
The evidence supporting your case.
PSEM:
Psychological Social Evaluation Module.
Remedy:
The benefits or services you are asking for in your appeal.
REO:
Reopened claim.
Representative (REP):
A lawyer, union member or other knowledgeable person who will help
you organize your appeal and advocate on your behalf.
Respondent:
The person who is responding to your appeal. If you are appealing
a decision, your employer is the respondent.
RMA:
Regional Medical Adviser -a doctor employed by WSIB to provide medical
opinions to adjudicators.
RMI / RSI.
Repetitive movement injury / Repetitive strain injury.
RSD:
Repetitive strain disability.
RTM:
Round trip memo (internal to WSIB).
RTW:
Return to work.
Rx:
Prescription.
SEB:
Suitable Employment or Business
SIEF:
Second injury enhancement fund. Employers seek relief of costs of
compensation claims from this fund when they feel that the worker
hurt in their employ had pre-existing problems that contributed
to the injury.
Sign: (as a medical term)
Objective evidence of a patient's condition, that is perceptible
to the examining doctor. (Its important to check the context since
the term is not always used as accurately as it should be. See also
Symptom)
SMA:
Section Medical Adviser - a doctor employed by WSIB to provide medical
opinions to adjudicators.
Subjective Complaint:
Your own evidence of pain or discomfort, which limits your activity.
This complaint may be given more weight by appeal bodies if a doctor's
objective findings are present (see definition of objective findings
in this section).
Submissions:
When you present your arguments on law, a policy or facts regarding
your case, either in person or in writing, to a decision-maker.
Symptom (as a medical term):
Subjective evidence of a disease, or a condition, as described by
the patient. (It's important to check the context since the term
is not always used as accurately as it should be. See Sign to distinguish)
TOJ:
Training on the job.
TP:
Partial benefits for temporary partial disability. Usually when
a worker can do some work but is unable to return to the regular
job full time.
TP DIFF:
Temporary partial difference benefits, which may be paid when an
injured worker returns to work at a wage loss.
TT:
Temporary total disability, or benefits for it.
Vice-Chair:
A member of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal
(WSIAT) who runs the WSIAT appeal hearing and is responsible for
its conduct. They may hold hearings alone or with two side members
(see Panel).
VR:
Vocational Rehabilitation.
WCA:
Workers' Compensation Act
WCAT:
Workers' Compensation Appeals Tribunal, the former name of WSIAT.
WCB :
Workers' Compensation Board, now known in Ontario as the Workplace
Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).
WSIA:
Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997. The law of the Province
of Ontario that provides benefits and services after a work related
injury for eligible employees.
WSIB:
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, formerly the Ontario Workers'
Compensation Board. A public organization created by the Workplace
Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 that decides who is entitled to and
then provides benefits and services under the legislation.
WSIAT:
Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal, the final level
of appeal in the compensation system. WSIAT is independent of the
WSIB.
WLS:
Wage loss supplement.
Wage Loss Benefits:
Replacement for lost income for temporary total disability. It is
generally paid every two weeks.
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