4.5.20.6 Provision of firewood
Unless provided as a medical or hospital service, WorkSafe is not liable for power provided by a utility, or for room temperature controls, including heating and cooling and associated running costs (i.e. split systems or air conditioning units).*
WorkSafe may be liable for the cost of services as an alternative to household tasks, when the worker is unable to perform household tasks due to the work-related An injury/disease is work related if it arose out of or in the course of employment and the scope of employment. injury. This can be considered in exceptional circumstances where the worker was responsible for these tasks to heat their home (e.g. collecting and chopping firewood).
Assessing eligibility for the provision of firewood
To assess whether collecting and chopping wood is reasonable and necessary as a household service, the following eligibility criteria must be met.
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The worker has no other means of heating the living areas of the home (kitchen, lounge, and bedrooms used).
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The residential home of the worker is not connected to mains gas.
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The residential home of the worker is not connected to electricity supply.
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The worker has provided evidence that any available solar panels and/or batteries available to heat the home (kitchen, lounge, and bedrooms used) are insufficient.
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The FIRE2 Firewood request for further info v2 - Worker letter and corresponding questionnaire has been completed by the worker and returned to the Agent.
Agents can also consider alternative heating methods to the provision of firewood, at a more reasonable cost.
Once the Agent has confirmed all eligibility criteria are met, they should initiate a request for an Occupational therapy Occupational therapy is a client-centred health profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to or are expected to do or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement. assessment.
OT assessment for provision of firewood
If an OT Occupational therapy is a client-centred health profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to or are expected to do or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement . assessment is required by the Agent, the OT will attend the worker’s home and review:
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method of pre-injury household firewood provision
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the worker’s capacity to lift, chop and stack wood through a functional capacity assessment
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the type of heating and cooking facilities within the home
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the type of energy sources available within the home for example connections to mains electricity, mains gas, gas bottles, solar panels and batteries
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pre-injury responsibilities of family members In relation to a work-related: • severe injury for which immediate inpatient treatment in hospital is received • eligible progressive disease • fatal injury a ‘family member’ means a partner, parent, grandparent, sibling or child of the worker or of the worker's partner. Note: this definition is not the same as a close family member. and their continuing ability to contribute to firewood provision.
The OT will also seek to identify strategies to maximise and maintain a worker’s independence by:
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re-educating and training the worker in adaptive methods (e.g. use of self-pacing tasks throughout the day). Note: these changes should be implemented before any use of firewood provision.
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assisting the worker to find ways to compensate for any functional limitations by the use of adaptive techniques or equipment.
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developing a recovery plan in conjunction with the worker and their treating health practitioner/s to support transition to chopping firewood independently
Example questions for a firewood OT assessment are available through Agent Online for consideration.
The Agent should also include any questions relevant to the specific worker and the OT should be given an opportunity to identify any other relevant issues.
See: Arrange an Occupational therapy assessment
Approval of provision of firewood
If eligible as per above criteria, firewood can be provided once a year for a maximum of three years. Maximum approval per year may not exceed $2,300.
* Room temperature control equipment (not including firewood) is still funded under the Equipment and related services policy for workers with a spinal cord lesion (T6 or higher) or other exceptional medical circumstances resulting in a medically diagnosed, permanent inability to regulate their own body temperature.