Should disaster relief worker injury cases be reported?
Yes. Injuries occurring to disaster service workers (DSW) covered under division 4, part 1, Chapter 10 of the Labor Code (beginning with section 4350) should be reported to the WCIS. While the Labor Code’s definition of “employee” (section 3351) expressly excludes DSWs, an exception is made for those covered under Chapter 10. See Labor Code section 3352.94 for more details. Note that an injury to an “unregistered” DSW may also need to be reported if they are “impressed into service during a state of war emergency, a state of emergency, or a local emergency by a person having authority to command the aid of citizens in the execution of his or her duties.” See Labor Code section 3211.92 for more details.
