Best Practice Guide

Seafarers Rehabilitation and Return to Work – A Best Practice Guide  [2nd edition]

This revision of the first edition of the Seafarers Rehabilitation and Return to Work - A Best Practice Guide is partly a result of the Seacare Conference 2006 and its theme of Improving Rehabilitation and Return to Work Outcomes. The views expressed and the knowledge shared by Conference participants has been taken into account in revising the first edition of this Guide.

This Guide aims to assist seafarers, employers, rehabilitation providers, medical practitioners and other parties involved in rehabilitation and return to work processes by outlining the minimum statutory requirements. It provides information on how to do better and achieve best practice standards.

It is widely acknowledged, as identified at the Seacare Conference 2006, that early intervention and a supportive workplace culture, including the development of return to work plans that maintain the engagement of injured seafarers in work and the workplace, are the foundations of successful rehabilitation and early return to work.

The Seafarers Rehabilitation and Return to Work - A Best Practice Guide is provided in two formats, a full version and a short version:

A best practice guide - Seafarers Rehabilitation and Return to Work (Full version)

The full version of the Guide aims to assist all parties by:

• providing an outline of the minimum statutory requirements for rehabilitation under the Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992 (the Act); and
• guiding the parties on how to do better than the minimum requirements set down in the Act — it aims to provide a best practice approach to rehabilitation in the shipping industry.
  
  

A best practice guide - Seafarers Rehabilitation and Return to Work (Short version)

The short version of the Guide is designed to be used by practitioners as a quick reference and to help them in circumstances where the use of the full version of the Guide is not practical.

Current version: October 2007

Hard copies of both of the above are available from the Seacare Authority