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Clocked Out & Improperly Dressed

Clocked Out & Improperly Dressed

Question: A shop supervisor removes his steel-toed boots and other PPE at the end of the workday and clocks out. He heads to exit the workplace to go home but remembers he left his wallet in his desk. He is in a hurry and the fastest route to his office is through the shop floor. He decides not to put his PPE back on to save time and as he is walking through the shop he notices employees lifting a load unsafely. He approaches the employees and just then one of the slings holding the load fails and the heavy load falls and rolls toward the supervisor and smashes his foot, resulting in an amputation two of his toes. Is it recordable?

Answer: YES. The employee had not yet started his commute and therefore any injuries that occur in the work environment are considered work-related for recordkeeping purposes. Clocking in or out is not determinative of what activities are work-related. All injuries that occur in the work environment are presumed work-related unless an exception applies.

1904.5(b)(1): What is the "work environment"? OSHA defines the work environment as "the establishment and other locations where one or more employees are working or are present as a condition of their employment. The work environment includes not only physical locations, but also the equipment or materials used by the employee during the course of his or her work."

See Also:
IIR Scenario 37 - Injured After Clocking Out

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