(1)  The purpose of this Part is to establish a system that ensures that, as far as practicable, workers –

(a) recover as soon as possible from workplace injuries; and

(b) are able, as soon as practicable, to return to and remain in work that is safe for them to perform without aggravating the injury or impeding its healing.

(2)  This Part is based on the following principles:

(a) the primary aim of persons, including the injured worker, involved in injury management should be –

(i) the recovery of the worker from the injury; and

(ii) that the worker return to work –

and, to this end, all such persons should co-operate, collaborate and consult together;

(b) it is essential to ensure that injury management begins as soon as possible after a worker suffers a workplace injury;

(c) wherever possible, injury management is to enable an injured worker to continue to be employed by the employer who was the worker's employer when the worker was injured;

(d) injury management should be transparent, effective and cost-efficient;

(e) all parties to injury management, in particular injured workers, their employers and their medical practitioners, should have access to information and assistance relating to their roles, rights and responsibilities;

(f) injury management should be of a high standard so as to maintain the dignity and integrity of injured workers and should ensure that injured workers are active participants in the management of their injuries;

(g) issues relating to injury management should be resolved as soon as practicable, and with such assistance as may be necessary, so as to ensure effective injury management;

(h) all decisions relating to injury management should be made in the best interests of the worker.