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Contact Lens Eye Injury
Question: An employee working in a fabrication shop gets an iron filing behind his contact lens and receives antibiotics as part of the treatment provided by the doctor. In the doctor's opinion, if the employee had not been wearing contacts, the injury would not have occurred. Is it recordable?
Answer: YES. There is no exception for injuries caused by debris behind contact lenses and the prescription is considered medical treatment beyond first aid. This injury should be recorded as medical treatment.
1904.5(a): Basic requirement. You must consider an injury or illness to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing injury or illness. Work-relatedness is presumed for injuries and illnesses resulting from events or exposures occurring in the work environment, unless an exception in ยง1904.5(b)(2) specifically applies
1904.5(b)(4): How do I know if an event or exposure in the work environment "significantly aggravated" a preexisting injury or illness? A preexisting injury or illness has been significantly aggravated, for purposes of OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping, when an event or exposure in the work environment results in any of the following:
1904.5(b)(4)(iv): Medical treatment in a case where no medical treatment was needed for the injury or illness before the workplace event or exposure, or a change in medical treatment was necessitated by the workplace event or exposure.