When an employee incurs a work-related injury or illness, when are you required to record the incident? When are you required to report the incident to OSHA?
The purpose of this blog post is to help guide you in complying with some common OSHA regulations.
Note that this blog post does not contain all the OSHA regulations.
Also, note that this blog post is only a guide and is for reference only.
For a complete listing of all OSHA regulations, visit their site at OSHA Regulations (Standards - 29 CFR) Standard Number 1904.
When Recording an Incident is Required by OSHA
For the safety and well-being of employees, OSHA has established requirements when recording work-related injuries or illnesses is required.
The Recording of Incidents in Companies with Less Than Ten Employees
Suppose your company had ten or fewer employees at all times (during peak employment) the previous calendar year.
For a company that had ten or fewer employees the previous calendar year, there is no requirement to maintain OSHA injury and illness records unless required by OSHA or the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, all employers are required to record any work-related injury or illness resulting in:
- Death
- In-patient hospitalization
- Amputation
- Loss of eye
The Recording of Incidents in Companies with More Than Ten Employees
Suppose your company had more than ten employees at any time during the previous calendar year. In that case, OSHA injury and illness records maintenance is mandatory unless classified as a partially exempt industry.
Basic OSHA Recording Requirements
You must record any work-related injury or illness that results in:
- Death
- Days away from work
- Restricted work
- Transfer to another job
- Medical treatment beyond first aid
- Loss of consciousness
Additionally, you must also record a work-related injury or illness that involves a significant injury or illness that a physician or other licensed healthcare professional diagnosis, even if it does not result in any of the above.
How are Work-Related Injuries or Illnesses Recorded?
If there is an event that is a work-related injury or illness, you must record the incident on the OSHA 300 Log.
When a Death is a Result of a Work-Related Injury or Illness
In the event of an employee's work-related death, you must record the facts on the OSHA 300 Log by checking the space for cases resulting in death. You must also report any work-related death to OSHA within eight (8) hours.
Work-Related Injury or Illness Resulting in Days Away From Work
If an employee incurs a work-related injury or illness that involves one or more days away from work, you must record such injury or illness on the OSHA 300 Log. This recording is done with a checkmark in the space for cases involving days away from work. Then enter the number of calendar days, including weekends and holidays, away from work in the number of days column.
If the employee is expected to be away from work for an extended period, you must enter an estimate of the number of calendar days the employee will be away from work. Once the actual number of days is known, you must update the day count.
Is the Day on Which Work-Related Injury or Illness Begins Counted?
No, you begin counting days away from work on the day after the injury occurred or the illness began.
Record a Work-Related Injury or Illness When a Licensed Health Care Professional Recommends the Employee Not Work but Comes to Work Anyway
In this case, you must record the work-related injury or illness on the OSHA 300 Log by checking the space for cases involving days away from work.
You must also enter the recommended, by a physician or other licensed health care provider, the days away, including weekends and holidays.
It would be best if you encouraged the employee to follow the recommendation.
The days away from work must be recorded whether the employee follows the medical recommendation or not. In the event you receive recommendations from two or more physicians or other licensed health care professionals, you may choose which recommendation is the most authoritative. You then record the case based upon the authoritative recommendation.
Is there a Maximum Number of Calendar Days to Count?
If an illness or injury results in days away from work and/or job transfer or restriction if the injury or illness resulted in more than 180 calendar days. In such a case, enter 180 in the total days away column.
If the Employee Leaves the Company
If the employee leaves the company for a reason unrelated to work-related injury or illness, you may stop counting the calendar days.
If the employee leaves the company due to a work-related injury, you must estimate the days the employee will be away from work and enter the day count on the OSHA 300 Log.
When Reporting an Incident to OSHA is Required
OSHA requires the employer to report to the nearest OSHA office to cause a work-related injury or illness when it results in :
- Death
- Severe injury
- In-patient hospitalization
- Amputation
- Loss of an eye
If an incident results in death, you must report the incident within eight (8) hours. You must report all other incidences within 24 hours.
Note: When written, the information in this blog post was accurate at that time. Regulations can change at any time. To ensure accuracy, check the current OSHA regulations through the link below.
For questions on situations not covered in this post, please refer to OSHA Regulations (Standards - 29 CRF) Standard Number 1904.
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