SRC Act section 4, plain-English definition from TheAICommand
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What is section 4 of the SRC Act?

Section 4 of the SRC Act 1988 is the interpretation provision. It defines the Act's working vocabulary, including ailment, aggravation and impairment, and routes injury, disease and employee to their own definition sections.

Quick answer

Section 4 of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (Cth) is the Act's interpretation provision. Subsection 4(1) defines the terms the rest of the Act relies on, including ailment, aggravation, impairment, licensee and suitable employment, and points injury to section 5A, disease to section 5B and employee to section 5.

Verified against the current authoritative text on by the TheAICommand editorial team.

This page is an educational summary for professionals working with AI. It is not the law and not legal advice. Always work from the current authoritative text linked below.

What does section 4 do?

Section 4 is the interpretation provision of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (Cth). Subsection 4(1) opens with "In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears" and then sets out the dictionary the scheme runs on: ailment, aggravation (which includes acceleration or recurrence), impairment, permanent, licensee and suitable employment. Work from the current compilation on the Federal Register of Legislation.

Who does it bind?

Everyone applying the SRC Act: Comcare, self-insured licensees (defined in subsection 4(1) by reference to Part VIII licensing), their delegates, and reviewers. Wherever a defined term appears in the Act, it carries its section 4 meaning.

What do practitioners get wrong?

Treating section 4 as the whole definition story. For the terms that decide most claims it is a signpost only: subsection 4(1) provides that injury has the meaning given by section 5A, disease has the meaning given by section 5B, and employee has the meaning given in section 5. Citing section 4 for the injury definition misses the reasonable administrative action carve-out, which lives in section 5A.

Where does AI use touch it?

General-purpose AI tools default to everyday meanings of words like impairment and aggravation, which do not match their section 4 definitions. Prompt libraries and skill files should pin the statutory definitions, the way TOOCS coding quality controls and reasonable administrative action analysis do.

Bottom line

Section 4 is the SRC Act's vocabulary. Check it first for any defined term, then follow its signposts to sections 5, 5A and 5B for employee, injury and disease before drafting anything that turns on them.

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Frequently asked questions

What does section 4(1) of the SRC Act define?
Subsection 4(1) is the Act's dictionary. It defines terms such as ailment (any physical or mental ailment, disorder, defect or morbid condition, whether of sudden onset or gradual development), aggravation (which includes acceleration or recurrence), impairment, permanent, licensee, suitable employment and medical treatment, and it applies unless the contrary intention appears.
Where is injury defined in the SRC Act?
Not in section 4 itself. Subsection 4(1) provides that injury has the meaning given by section 5A, disease has the meaning given by section 5B, and employee has the meaning given in section 5. Section 4 is the signpost; the operative definitions sit in those sections.
What does aggravation mean under the SRC Act?
Subsection 4(1) provides that aggravation includes acceleration or recurrence. That inclusive definition feeds directly into the injury definition in section 5A and the disease definition in section 5B, both of which cover an aggravation as well as the underlying injury or ailment.

Primary sources

Where s4 appears

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General information and education only. Not legal, compliance, financial, or professional advice. Always confirm obligations against the primary source and current regulator guidance.