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Loss of an Eye
Question:
At work, an employee removes his safety glass with his grinding wheel running. At that precise moment, the grinding wheel starts to break off and a piece of it lands directly into his eye. At the Emergency Room, the employee is cared for and kept overnight, but the eye is lost. 48 hours later, the company site Safety Professional notifies an OSHA email address of the lost eye. Is it Recordable? Was OSHA’s reporting process followed?
Answer:
YES, recordable. NO, non-compliant reporting. A loss of an eye on the job is recordable. However, the employer faces OSHA penalty for non-compliant reporting. In -patient hospitalization AND the loss of an eye are both reportable to OSHA within 24 hours of the incident either by phone or in person at the nearest OSHA office, or by the OSHA toll free telephone number, or online using the reporting application at the OSHA website. No OSHA email suffices per the standard.
1904.39(a)(2)
Within twenty-four (24) hours after the in-patient hospitalization of one or more employees or an employee's amputation or an employee's loss of an eye, as a result of a work-related incident, you must report the in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye to OSHA.
1904.39(a)(3)
You must report the fatality, inpatient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye using one of the following methods:
1904.39(a)(3)(i)
By telephone or in person to the OSHA Area Office that is nearest to the site of the incident.
1904.39(a)(3)(ii)
By telephone to the OSHA toll-free central telephone number, 1-800-321-OSHA (1-800-321-6742).
1904.39(a)(3)(iii)
By electronic submission using the reporting application located on OSHA's public web site at www.osha.gov.
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.39