A community resource for the acquisition workforce not a .gov website
part52.dev Federal Acquisition Clause Monitor
FAR Clause ACTIVE

52.228-4

Workers' Compensation and War-Hazard Insurance Overseas.
View on acquisition.gov · View on eCFR.gov
Effective Date
APR 1984
Active Deviations
1
Versions
1 (since 2017-01-01)
RFO
RFO Version Available

The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul has published a revised version of this clause. The RFO version supersedes the eCFR text below for contracts using the RFO model; see the RFO deviation for applicability.

View RFO version
DEV
This clause is modified by 1 active class deviation
  • 2026-O0005 — DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 28)
    Substitute clause 52.228-4
View per-deviation details →
52.228-4 Workers' Compensation and War-Hazard Insurance Overseas.

As prescribed in 28.309(b), insert the following clause:

Workers' Compensation and War-Hazard Insurance Overseas (APR 1984)

(a) This paragraph applies if the Contractor employs any person who, but for a waiver granted by the Secretary of Labor, would be subject to workers' compensation insurance under the Defense Base Act (42 U.S.C. 1651
et seq.
). On behalf of employees for whom the applicability of the Defense Base Act has been waived, the Contractor shall (1) provide, before commencing performance under this contract, at least that workers' compensation insurance or the equivalent as the laws of the country of which these employees are nationals may require and (2) continue to maintain it until performance is completed. The Contractor shall insert, in all subcontracts under this contract to which the Defense Base Act would apply but for the waiver, a clause similar to this paragraph (a) (including this sentence) imposing upon those subcontractors this requirement to provide such workers' compensation insurance coverage.

(b) This paragraph applies if the Contractor or any subcontractor under this contract employs any person who, but for a waiver granted by the Secretary of Labor, would be subject to the War Hazards Compensation Act (42 U.S.C. 1701
et seq.
). On behalf of employees for whom the applicability of the Defense Base Act (and hence that of the War Hazards Compensation Act) has been waived, the Contractor shall, subject to reimbursement as provided elsewhere in this contract, afford the same protection as that provided in the War Hazards Compensation Act, except that the level of benefits shall conform to any law or international agreement controlling the benefits to which the employees may be entitled. In all other respects, the standards of the War Hazards Compensation Act shall apply; e.g., the definition of war-hazard risks (injury, death, capture, or detention as the result of a war hazard as defined in the Act), proof of loss, and exclusion of benefits otherwise covered by workers' compensation insurance or the equivalent. Unless the Contractor elects to assume directly the liability to subcontractor employees created by this clause, the Contractor shall insert, in all subcontracts under this contract to which the War Hazards Compensation Act would apply but for the waiver, a clause similar to this paragraph (b) (including this sentence) imposing upon those subcontractors this requirement to provide war-hazard benefits.

(End of clause)

[48 FR 42478, Sept. 19, 1983, as amended at 68 FR 28086, May 22, 2003]
RFO
Prescription superseded under the RFO

The prescription shown below is from the codified eCFR. Under the RFO, the prescribing section may have been revised, relocated or reserved. See the deviation memorandum for the current prescription authority.

View deviation: 2026-O0005 →
28.309(b)
(b) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.228-4, Worker's Compensation and War-Hazard Insurance Overseas, in solicitations and contracts when the contract will be a public-work contract performed outside the United States and the Secretary of Labor waives the applicability of the Defense Base Act (see 28.305(d)).
Prescription data sourced from eCFR as of 2026-06-10 03:16 UTC. Cross-references within the prescription are not resolved automatically.

Regulatory Stack

The layers of regulation that govern this clause, from the FAR prescription through agency-specific supplements and any active deviations.

RFO RFO Version Overhauled clause text
The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul publishes a revised version of this clause. See the RFO Version tab for the controlling authority under the RFO model.

Search on acquisition.gov

R-DFARS R-DFARS Prescription Per Deviation 2026-O0005 (DFARS Part 228)
2026-O0005: DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 28) — DFARS Part 228

View Deviation 2026-O0005 →

FAR FAR Prescription ⚠ May be superseded by RFO 28.309(b)
(b) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.228-4, Worker's Compensation and War-Hazard Insurance Overseas, in solicitations and contracts when the contract will be a public-work contract performed outside the United States and the Secretary of Labor waives the applicability of the Defense Base Act (see 28.305(d)).

View on acquisition.gov · View on eCFR.gov

Version History

Version history is sourced from the codified eCFR. Changes published only as class deviations or by the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul do not appear here until they are incorporated into the eCFR. For RFO-driven changes see the RFO Version tab and any active deviations cited above.

No version history available from eCFR.

RFO Version

Comparison of the codified eCFR text against the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul revision. Highlights show additions (green) and deletions (red, struck through).

Clause Text

Substantive changes. The RFO version differs materially from the eCFR text.
eCFR (codified)
RFO (implemented)
Unchanged
52.228-4 Workers’ Compensation and War-Hazard Insurance Overseas.
eCFR (codified)
RFO (implemented)
5 added, 6 removed
(a)
(a) This paragraph applies if the Contractor employs any person who, but for a waiver granted by the Secretary of Labor, would be subject to workers' compensation insurance under the Defense Base Act (42 U.S.C. 1651 et seq.). On behalf of employees for whom the applicability of the Defense Base Act has been waived, the Contractor shall (1) provide, before commencing performance under this contract, at least that workers' compensation insurance or the equivalent as the laws of the country of which these employees are nationals may require and (2) continue to maintain it until performance is completed. The Contractor shall insert, in all subcontracts under this contract to which the Defense Base Act would apply but for the waiver, a clause similar to this paragraph (a) (including this sentence) imposing upon those subcontractors this requirement to provide such workers' compensation insurance coverage.
(a)
(a) This paragraph applies if the Contractor employs any person who, but for a waiver granted by the Secretary of Labor, would be subject to workers’ compensation insurance under the Defense Base Act (42 U.S.C.1651, et seq.). On behalf of employees for whom the applicability of the Defense Base Act has been waived, the Contractor shall (1) provide, before commencing performance under this contract, at least that workers’ compensation insurance or the equivalent as the laws of the country of which these employees are nationals may require, and (2) continue to maintain it until performance is completed. The Contractor shall insert, in all subcontracts under this contract to which the Defense Base Act would apply but for the waiver, a clause similar to this paragraph (a) (including this sentence) imposing upon those subcontractors this requirement to provide such workers’ compensation insurance coverage.
2 added, 3 removed
(b)
(b) This paragraph applies if the Contractor or any subcontractor under this contract employs any person who, but for a waiver granted by the Secretary of Labor, would be subject to the War Hazards Compensation Act (42 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.). On behalf of employees for whom the applicability of the Defense Base Act (and hence that of the War Hazards Compensation Act) has been waived, the Contractor shall, subject to reimbursement as provided elsewhere in this contract, afford the same protection as that provided in the War Hazards Compensation Act, except that the level of benefits shall conform to any law or international agreement controlling the benefits to which the employees may be entitled. In all other respects, the standards of the War Hazards Compensation Act shall apply; e.g., the definition of war-hazard risks (injury, death, capture, or detention as the result of a war hazard as defined in the Act), proof of loss, and exclusion of benefits otherwise covered by workers' compensation insurance or the equivalent. Unless the Contractor elects to assume directly the liability to subcontractor employees created by this clause, the Contractor shall insert, in all subcontracts under this contract to which the War Hazards Compensation Act would apply but for the waiver, a clause similar to this paragraph (b) (including this sentence) imposing upon those subcontractors this requirement to provide war-hazard benefits.
(b)
(b) This paragraph applies if the Contractor or any subcontractor under this contract employs any person who, but for a waiver granted by the Secretary of Labor, would be subject to the War Hazards Compensation Act (42 U.S.C.1701, et seq.). On behalf of employees for whom the applicability of the Defense Base Act (and hence that of the War Hazards Compensation Act) has been waived, the Contractor shall, subject to reimbursement as provided elsewhere in this contract, afford the same protection as that provided in the War Hazards Compensation Act, except that the level of benefits shall conform to any law or international agreement controlling the benefits to which the employees may be entitled. In all other respects, the standards of the War Hazards Compensation Act shall apply; e.g., the definition of war-hazard risks (injury, death, capture, or detention as the result of a war hazard as defined in the Act), proof of loss, and exclusion of benefits otherwise covered by workers’ compensation insurance or the equivalent. Unless the Contractor elects to assume directly the liability to subcontractor employees created by this clause, the Contractor shall insert, in all subcontracts under this contract to which the War Hazards Compensation Act would apply but for the waiver, a clause similar to this paragraph (b) (including this sentence) imposing upon those subcontractors this requirement to provide war-hazard benefits.
15 removed
[48 FR 42478, Sept. 19, 1983, as amended at 68 FR 28086, May 22, 2003]
Applied to DoD contracts via Class Deviation 2026-O0005 (effective 2026-02-01) .

Prescription

Minor revisions. The RFO prescription has formatting or editorial changes from the eCFR prescription.
eCFR (codified)
RFO (implemented)
Unchanged
52.228-4 Workers’ Compensation and War-Hazard Insurance Overseas.: Prescription
eCFR (codified)
RFO (implemented)
2 added, 2 removed
(b)
(b) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.228-4, Worker's Compensation and War-Hazard Insurance Overseas, in solicitations and contracts when the contract will be a public-work contract performed outside the United States and the Secretary of Labor waives the applicability of the Defense Base Act (see 28.305(d)).
(b)
(b) The contracting officer must insert the clause at 52.228-4, Workers' Compensation and War-Hazard Insurance Overseas, in solicitations and contracts when the contract will be a public-work contract performed outside the United States and the Secretary of Labor waives the applicability of the Defense Base Act (see 28.305(d)).

Source: acquisition.gov RFO Part 52 · Prescribing Part 28

Active Class Deviations

DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 28) Substitute clause 52.228-4
MODIFIED
Use with AI assistant
Copy a link and prompt for use with Gemini or another AI assistant.