Question: While descending a flight of stairs at work, an employee misses the last step and falls to the floor. During a break, the employee walks to a local convenience store to purchase and use a rigid splint for their arm. Is it recordable? Answer: NO. Medical treatment must be recommended by the employer or a licensed healthcare professional in order for it to be considered medical treatment beyond first aid for OSHA recordkeeping purposes. ​ Letter of Interpretation Generally, OSHA does not consider self-treatment or self-medication by the employee to constitute medical treatment beyond first aid. The treatment must be directed or recommended by the employer or a health care professional to be considered medical treatment beyond first aid. Like this content? Want to support this site? Become a member today for access to premium content! Email redbeard@isitrecordable.com for sponsorship opportunities.

Question: An employee cuts their arm while opening a box at work. They self-administer stitches and later are directed to visit the doctor. The doctor opines that the stitches are unnecessary and a simple wound covering would have sufficed for treatment. Is it recordable? Answer: NO. Medical treatment must be recommended by the employer or a licensed healthcare professional in order for it to be considered medical treatment beyond first aid for OSHA recordkeeping purposes. ​ Letter of Interpretation Generally, OSHA does not consider self-treatment or self-medication by the employee to constitute medical treatment beyond first aid. The treatment must be directed or recommended by the employer or a health care professional to be considered medical treatment beyond first aid. Like this content? Want to support this site? Become a member today for access to premium content! Email redbeard@isitrecordable.com for sponsorship opportunities.

Question: A long-term contract employee, responsible for repairing/maintaining equipment, gets his foot crushed under a large piece of equipment at work and has his toe amputated. The employee's daily activities were supervised by the contract employer, not by your employer. Is it recordable? Answer: NO. While the injury is recordable for the contract employee's direct supervising employer, it is NOT recordable for your company. This injury must be recorded by the contract employer and also reported to OSHA within 24 hours. ​ 1904.31(b)(3) If an employee in my establishment is a contractor's employee, must I record an injury or illness occurring to that employee? If the contractor's employee is under the day-to-day supervision of the contractor, the contractor is responsible for recording the injury or illness. If you supervise the contractor employee's work on a day-to-day basis, you must record the injury or illness. ​ ​ 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. ​ How to Report an Amputation Like this content? Want to support this site? Become a member today for access to premium content! Email redbeard@isitrecordable.com for sponsorship opportunities.

Question: An office employee reports a pain in their neck after spending many hours at a new desk next to their supervisor. The occupational health nurse provides soft tissue massage and performs an ergonomic evaluation of their work station to prevent future problems. Is it recordable? Answer: NO. Soft tissue massage is considered first aid treatment and is therefore not recordable. ​​ 1904.7(b)(5)(ii) What is "first aid"? For the purposes of Part 1904, "first aid" means the following: 1904.7(b)(5)(ii)(M) Using massages (physical therapy or chiropractic treatment are considered medical treatment for recordkeeping purposes); ​ Letter of Interpretation Section 1904.7(b)(5) of OSHA’s recordkeeping regulation requires employers to record work-related injuries and illnesses that result in medical treatment beyond first aid. Under Part 1904, medical treatment does not include "first aid" as defined in paragraph 1904.7(b)(5)(ii). The section specifically states that "using massages" is first aid. See, subparagraph (M). Section 1904.7(b)(5)(iii) goes on to state that the list of first aid treatments in section 1904.7(b)(5)(ii) is a comprehensive list of first aid treatments. Any treatment not included on the list is not considered first aid for OSHA recordkeeping purposes. Like this content? Want to support this site? Become a member today for access to premium content! Support this site! Email redbeard@isitrecordable.com for sponsorship opportunities.

Question: While participating in a voluntary family fun day at work, an employee gets into an altercation with a clown when he is squirted with water. As a result, the employee ends up with a broken nose and receives medical treatment. Is it recordable? Answer: NO. The injury occurred while the employee was voluntarily participating in a family fun day. Voluntary participation in recreational activities are not considered work-related. ​ Letter of Interpretation Injuries that result solely from voluntary participation in recreational activities are generally not considered work-related. Like this content? Want to support this site? Become a member today for access to premium content! Support this site! Email redbeard@isitrecordable.com for sponsorship opportunities.

Question: While welcoming a guest to the office and escorting them in the elevator, an employee is exposed to heavy perfume. The employee has non-occupational asthma and is forced to self-medicate using a rescue inhaler that was prescribed by their personal physician. Is it recordable? Answer: YES. Even though the asthma is a pre-existing condition, OSHA states that a pre-existing illness can become recordable when an event or exposure in the work environment significantly aggravates the condition. ​ Letter of Interpretation Section 1904.5(b)(4) states, “A pre-existing 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 . . . (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.” Section 1904.5(b)(5) provides that an injury or illness is a pre-existing condition if it resulted solely from a non-work-related event or exposure that occurred outside the work environment. #RedBeard #osha #osharecordkeeping #safety #workerscomp #occupationalsafety #recordkeeping #injuries #injury #HR #inhaler Is it Compensable? Ask it Here! Have an Environmental Safety Question? Ask it Here! Is it Construction? Learn Here! Is it Safety? Learn Here! Email redbeard@isitrecordable.com for sponsorship opportunities.

Question: While hauling a bag of trash out to the dumpster an employee was struck in the eye by a Magpie and suffered a corneal abrasion. A doctor provided an eye patch and a prescription of antibiotic eye drops. Is it recordable? Answer: YES. An eye patch is considered only first aid but prescription antibiotics are medical treatment beyond first and therefore this incident must be recorded. ​ ​1904.7(a) You must consider an injury or illness to meet the general recording criteria, and therefore to be recordable, if it results in any of the following: death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness. You must also consider a case to meet the general recording criteria if it involves a significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional, even if it does not result in death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness. 1904.7(b)(5)(ii) What is "first aid"? For the purposes of Part 1904, "first aid" means the following: 1904.7(b)(5)(ii)(I) Using eye patches; #RedBeard #osha #osharecordkeeping #safety #workerscomp #occupationalsafety #recordkeeping #injuries #injury #HR #animal #bird #eye Is it Compensable? Ask it Here! Have an Environmental Safety Question? Ask it Here! Is it Construction? Learn Here! Is it Safety? Learn Here! Email redbeard@isitrecordable.com for sponsorship opportunities.

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