| (a) | who has not previously been found to be suffering from a compensatable disease and who is considered or suspected to be suffering from such a disease; or |
| (b) | who has previously been found to be suffering from a compensatable disease and who is considered or suspected to be suffering from a more advanced degree of the disease in question, |
submit to the certification committee a full report on the result of the examination.
| (2) | Subject to the provisions of subsection (3), the director shall not issue a certificate of fitness to a person referred to in subsection (1) until the certification committee has determined whether or not he or she is suffering from a compensatable disease, and, if he or she is found or has previously been found to be suffering from a compensatable disease, the degree of that disease. |
| (3) | The director may issue to a person referred to in subsection (1)— |
| (a) | who is not considered or suspected to be suffering from tuberculosis or any other infectious disease; or |
| (b) | who is considered or suspected to be suffering from tuberculosis which in the opinion of the director is non-infectious and is not likely to become infectious; and |
a temporary certificate of fitness which shall be valid for a period not exceeding sixty days to be specified therein, in order to enable that person to continue working until the decision of the certification committee is made known.
| (4) | If the certification committee finds the person concerned— |
| (a) | to be free from a compensatable disease; or |
| (b) | to be suffering from a compensatable disease which does not disqualify him or her from obtaining a certificate of fitness, |
the director shall forthwith issue a certificate of fitness to that person.
| (5) | A certificate of fitness may be issued under subsection (4) of this section subject to any restriction contemplated in section 23 (4). |
[Section 27(5) amended by section 43 of the Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Amendment Act, No. 208 of 1993]
