Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP)

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Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation (DLHWC)

CHAPTER 0-100 — LHWCA Manual System

1. Purpose and Scope. The Introduction to the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA) Procedure Manual (PM) outlines some of the basic things you need to know about the Procedure Manual, e.g., its structure, composition, and relationship to other written instructions. The Introduction also contains a description of the organization and structure of the Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation (DLHWC), and discusses the benefits and services available under the LHWCA and the requirements which must be met to obtain these benefits and services.
   1. Chapter 0-100 provides information on the structure of the LHWCA PM and directions for its use and maintenance.
   2. Chapter 0-200 presents a brief summary of the statutory authority for the compensation programs administered by the Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation (DLHWC) and briefly describes the LHWCA and its extensions.
   3. Chapter 0-300 describes the various benefits and services which injured workers are eligible to receive under the LHWCA as extended and the requirements which must be met to qualify for these benefits and services.
   4. Chapter 0-400 describes the background and structure of the DLHWC, its organization, delegations of authority, and relationships to the Employment Standards Administration (ESA) and other offices of the Department of Labor.
   5. Chapter 0-500 describes the communications and directives system authorized for DLHWC. It describes the various directives used and establishes responsibilities and procedures for the issuance of those directives.
   6. Chapter 0-600 contains a list of reference resource materials for use in researching claims-related or program-related issues.
   7. Chapter 0-601 contains a Glossary which defines frequently used terms.
   8. Chapter 0-602 contains a list of commonly used Abbreviations.
2. Structure of the LHWCA PM. The Procedure Manual (PM) consists of ten major divisions or Parts. The Parts, in turn, are further divided into chapters which are identified by triple-digit identifiers, e.g., 0-100, 0-200, etc. Chapters are further divided into paragraphs and other necessary subdivisions as follows:
   1. Divisions and Subdivisions.
      1. Part: 0 (1, 2, etc.)
      2. Chapter: -100 (200, 300, etc.)
      3. Subchapter: -101 (102, 103, etc.)
      4. Paragraph: .1 (.2, .3, etc.)
      5. Subparagraph: a (b, c, etc.)
      6. Sub-Subparagraph: (1) ((2), (3), etc.)
      7. Sub-Sub-Subparagraph: (a) ((b), (c), etc.)
   2. Citations. Citation to a portion of the LHWCA PM should be as specific as possible and should be made in the following manner:
      1. Citation to a Part: LHWCA PM 3
      2. Citation to a Chapter: LHWCA PM 3-200
      3. Citation to a Subchapter: LHWCA PM 3-205
      4. Citation to a Paragraph: LHWCA PM 3-205.3
      5. Citation to a Subparagraph: LHWCA PM 3-205.3b
      6. Citation to a Sub-Subparagraph: LHWCA PM 3-205.3b(7)
      7. Citation to a Sub-Sub-Subparagraph: LHWCA PM 3-205.3b(7)(g)
   3. DLHWC Directives. Detailed instructions for the preparation, review, clearance, publication, and distribution of DLHWC directives are contained in the LHWCA PM 0-500.
   4. Checklist. Located in front of the LHWCA PM is a "Checklist" of all pages issued and currently in effect within the LHWCA PM system. Checklists are issued periodically and supersede previous editions.
3. Maintenance and Revision
   1. New Issuances. New and revised chapters and pages of all PM material are distributed by numbered PM Transmittals. The Transmittals contain an explanation of the material transmitted, provide filing instructions for the new material, and directions on the disposition of any superseded or obsolete material.
   2. Filing Instructions. Detailed filing instructions are contained in PM 0-500. With routine changes or additions, observe the following procedure:
      1. File new material in accordance with the instructions contained in the PM Transmittal which transmits them.
      2. Remove and destroy any material identified as superseded or obsolete.
      3. File the Transmittal behind the latest "Checklist" which is located in front of the PM.
      4. When a new Checklist is received, destroy the Transmittals which have accumulated behind the previous Checklist. Keep only the latest Checklist in the manual.)