- Board Directives and Guidelines (stress, mental) (traumatic event)
The worker was working as a second mate on board a ship on January 31, 2021 when he became trapped inside the cargo control room. The worker's entitlement under the Traumatic Mental Stress policy was the sole issue before the Tribunal.
The Panel denied the appeal.A diagnosis under the DSM is required under OPM Document No. 15-03-02. The Panel accepted that the worker was likely very concerned about the events in question prompting him to seek medical attention and lay off work. However, the information on file did not establish that the worker sustained an injury within the meaning of the policy. There was no evidence of significance establishing a psychological impairment demonstrated through the provision of a DSM diagnosis. Therefore, whether the event in question was objectively traumatic was rendered moot in the absence of the DSM diagnosis.