Is It Recordable?
Scenario Q6

Simply Climbing Stairs: is it recordable?

Verdict: Recordable
Published 2020-08-09

Question

The employee was walking up the stairs at work and felt a snap in their leg. The employee was not carrying anything work-related and was doing nothing more than walking up the stairs. Is it recordable?

Answer

YES, probably. It is definitely work-related. It would be recordable if medical treatment, restricted work or lost time occurred. OSHA operates under a presumption of work-relatedness for any incident that occurs in the work environment. The work environment means anywhere the employee is as a condition of their employment. Climbing stairs is considered a part of a normal workday and is not listed as an exception under the OSHA recordkeeping guidelines. You could try to have a doctor make a determination of work-relatedness but if the workplace contributed to the injury in any way (even if not the sole or predominate cause) then it would still be recordable.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2001/01/19/01-725/occupational-injury-and-illness-recording-and-reporting-requirements

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.5

Illustration for the scenario: Simply Climbing Stairs
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This is guidance based on 29 CFR Part 1904 and OSHA letters of interpretation. Facts and details may be altered or fictional. As specified by OSHA, the employer is responsible for the final recordability determination.