Test Your Record Keeping Skills (Part 4)

How did you do last week? Time to brush up on your new cases rules?

This week's scenarios assume that the injury or illness is a new case and is work related, focusing on the general OSHA recordkeeping criteria.

Are the following incidents recordable?

(1) Elliott Electrician is electrocuted while replacing part of an electrical panel for a customer and dies as a result. Is this a recordable incident?

(2) Elliott Electrician is electrocuted while replacing part of an electrical panel for a customer and suffers serious injuries that cause him to miss several weeks of work. Is this a recordable incident?

(3) Rob Runner works for a large corporation delivering documents across town on his bike. While making one of his deliveries he is hit by a car and breaks his leg. Rob can no longer ride his bike, but the Company asks him to work in the service center making copies so he can sit down when he needs a break. Is this a recordable incident?

(4) While making one of his deliveries Rob is hit by a car and knocked unconscious for several minutes. The EMT comes and evaluates Rob but does not administer any medical treatment, ultimately and miraculously finding he is ok to return to his normal activities. Rob gets back on his bike and delivers the documents, just a little later than expected. Is this a recordable incident?

(5) When Rob Runner returns to the office the Company is very concerned about his accident, even though he was given the all clear by the EMT. The Company asks Rob to work in the service center making copies for a few days to make sure he is really ok before he gets back on his bike and to prevent any further potential complications. Is this work restriction recordable?

(6) When Rob Runner was hit by the car he was taken to the hospital by ambulance. The ambulance placed him on a board with a neck brace in case he had a neck injury. X-rays were taken but Rob suffered no broken bones. The neck brace was removed. The nurses cleaned his cuts and scratches with antiseptic and covered them with bandages. One particular cut was fairly large so they used a butterfly bandage. The nurse also gave Rob an ice pack for a bruise on his knee. Because he complained about pain in his left index finger, the hospital wrapped that finger with tape to the one next to it as a means of support. They also gave him two Advil and a tetanus shot just in case. They told him he could take more Advil per the bottle's instructions when he got home if he was still in pain. Are Rob's injuries recordable based solely on the above factors?

Answer Key:

(1) Yes. Always record an injury or illness if it results in death.

(2) Yes. Not only can we assume that Elliott had medical treatment, but always record an injury or illness if it results in days away from work.(REMEMBER: to count the number of calendar days away from work including weekends, holidays, vacation days, etc. Do not include the day of the injury/illness. CAP day count at 180 days. You can stop counting if the employee leaves the company.)

(3) Yes. Not only has Rob received medical treatment, always record an injury or illness if it results in restricted work activity/transfer. This includes working partial days and changes in activities. (REMEMBER: to count the number of calendar days restricted from work. Do not include the day of the injury/illness. CAP day count at 180 days. You can stop counting if the employee leaves the company.)

(4) Yes. Always record an injury or illness if it results in loss of consciousness.

(5) Assuming nothing else develops, no. If the employer assigns a work restriction to that employee for purposes of preventing a more serious condition from developing, it is not recordable.

(6) No. You must record medical treatment beyond first aid. Medical treatment is defined as the management and treatment of a patient to combat disease or disorder. However, all of Rob's treatment falls under the First Aid exception. And, diagnostic procedures in and of themselves are not recordable. See the full list of exceptions at section 1904.7(b)(5)(ii) - https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9638