| What is an OSHA recordable case of injury? | | | | due to willful negligence. Cases are also recordable in |
| In previous articles, I talked about OSHA record | | | | the following circumstances; |
| keeping in regards to job related injuries and illnesses. | | | | 1. Discovered after the employee is no longer |
| In this article, I will present guidelines for what is a | | | | employed, for the five year period that would cover |
| recordable case and what is not. You are not | | | | the injury or illness. |
| required to keep the log for cases which are not | | | | 2. Employee did not report the case at the time of |
| deemed recordable. Recording an injury or illness does | | | | injury or illness. It becomes recordable when it is |
| not necessarily imply the anyone was at fault or that | | | | determined that it happened. |
| an OSHA standard was violated. It also does not | | | | 3. Employee had a preexisting condition that made |
| imply that the case is compensable under workers | | | | them more prone to injury or illness. |
| compensation laws. | | | | 4. The case happened off the premises of the |
| It must first be clear, that record keeping of injuries | | | | business, but was work related. |
| and illnesses must be done in good faith. It is the | | | | Determining if work related injuries are recordable |
| employer who decides what needs to be recorded | | | | requires you to evaluate if the treatment was |
| and what does not. However, if you are found not | | | | medical or first aid. A one time treatment and any |
| to be performing the function of record keeping in | | | | follow up treatment for the purposes of observation |
| good faith, you may be found to be out of | | | | for minor scratches, cuts, burns and splinters, which |
| compliance. | | | | do not require medical care beyond observation to |
| The OSH Act provides basic information on what is, | | | | ensure an infection does not occur, are generally not |
| or is not, a recordable case. It must be noted that | | | | recordable. This remains true even if the observation |
| your criteria for record keeping must meet the needs | | | | was done by professional medical people. Treatment |
| of safety and health professionals to determine if a | | | | of 2nd and 3rd degree burns, sutures, treatment for |
| problem exists. Basically, the Act states the any | | | | infection, application of butterfly adhesive sutures, |
| work related deaths, injuries and illnesses, are | | | | removal of foreign bodies in the eye, use of hot or |
| recordable, except those injuries and illnesses that | | | | cold soaking therapy during second or subsequent |
| are minor, requiring only first aid treatment and do | | | | visits, positive x-ray results or admission to a hospital |
| not involve medical treatment, loss of consciousness, | | | | would all generally be recordable. |
| restriction of work or motion and transfer to | | | | Types of cases that are generally not recordable: |
| different duties. | | | | 1. Injuries resulting while using company recreational |
| The decision making process, in regards as to what | | | | facilities, like ball diamonds, gyms, etc. are not |
| cases need to be recorded should follow these | | | | recordable. |
| steps; | | | | 2. Injuries on company owned parking lots are not |
| 1. Establish whether the case was work related. Did it | | | | recordable, unless the employee was performing a |
| happen at work, or was it related to the work | | | | work related task in the parking lot. |
| environment. Some injuries may happen over time | | | | 3. Treatment of first degree burns. |
| and can not be determined to have happened at any | | | | 4. Application of bandages during first visit. |
| specific time, but are none the less recordable. Like a | | | | 5. application of elastic bandages during first visit. |
| wrist injury that was caused from repetitive motion | | | | 6. Removal of foreign bodies in the eye that are |
| over a long period of time. | | | | removed by irrigation. |
| 2. Is the case an injury or illness. | | | | 7. Removal of foreign bodies from a wound that are |
| 3. If it is an illness, record it and check the | | | | simple in nature, like using tweezers. |
| appropriate box for illness on the log form. | | | | 8. Negative x-ray results. |
| 4. If it is an injury, decide if it is recordable based on | | | | 9. Administration of Tetanus shot, if that is all that is |
| a finding of treatment by medical personnel, loss of | | | | done. |
| consciousness, restriction of motion or transfer of | | | | For additional information regarding work related |
| duties. | | | | injuries and illnesses, contact the U.S. Department of |
| For purposes of record keeping, it does not matter | | | | Labor. |
| who was at fault, even if the employee was at fault | | | | |