General recording criteria.
(b) Implementation.
1. How do I decide if a case meets one or
more of the general recording criteria? A work-related injury or illness must
be recorded if it results in one or more of the following:
(i) Death,
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See Rule 0800-01-03-.03(5)(b) 2.
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(ii) Days away from work,
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See Rule 0800-01-03-.03(5)(b) 3.
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(iii) Restricted work or transfer to another
job,
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See Rule 0800-01-03-.03(5)(b) 4.
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(iv) Medical treatment beyond first aid,
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See Rule 0800-01-03-.03(5)(b) 5.
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(v) Loss of consciousness,
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See Rule 0800-01-03-.03(5)(b) 6.
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(vi) A significant injury or illness diagnosed by a
physician or other licensed health care professional.
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See Rule 0800-01-03-.03(5)(b) 7.
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2.
How do I record a work-related injury or illness that results in the employee's
death? You must record an injury or illness that results in death by entering a
check mark on the OSHA 300 Log in the space for cases resulting in death. You
must also report any work-related fatality to TOSHA within eight (8) hours, as
required by Rule
0800-01-03-.05(1).
3. How do I record a work-related injury or
illness that results in days away from work? When an injury or illness involves
one or more days away from work, you must record the injury or illness on the
OSHA 300 Log with a check mark in the space for cases involving days away and
an entry of the number of calendar days away from work in the number of days
column. If the employee is out for an extended period of time, you must enter
an estimate of the days that the employee will be away, and update the day
count when the actual number of days is known.
(i) Do I count the day on which the injury
occurred or the illness began? No, you begin counting days away on the day
after the injury occurred or the illness began.
(ii) How do I record an injury or illness
when a physician or other licensed health care professional recommends that the
worker stay at home but the employee comes to work anyway? You must record
these injuries and illnesses on the OSHA 300 Log using the check box for cases
with days away from work and enter the number of calendar days away recommended
by the physician or other licensed health care professional. If a physician or
other licensed health care professional recommends days away, you should
encourage your employee to follow that recommendation. However, the days away
must be recorded whether the injured or ill employee follows the physician or
licensed health care professional's recommendation or not. If you receive
recommendations from two or more physicians or other licensed health care
professionals, you may make a decision as to which recommendation is the most
authoritative, and record the case based upon that recommendation.
(iii) How do I handle a case when a physician
or other licensed health care professional recommends that the worker return to
work but the employee stays at home anyway? In this situation, you must end the
count of days away from work on the date the physician or other licensed health
care professional recommends that the employee return to work.
(iv) How do I count weekends, holidays, or
other days the employee would not have worked anyway? You must count the number
of calendar days the employee was unable to work as a result of the injury or
illness, regardless of whether or not the employee was scheduled to work on
those day(s). Weekend days, holidays, vacation days or other days off are
included in the total number of days recorded if the employee would not have
been able to work on those days because of a work-related injury or
illness.
(v) How do I record a case
in which a worker is injured or becomes ill on a Friday and reports to work on
a Monday, and was not scheduled to work on the weekend? You need to record this
case only if you receive information from a physician or other licensed health
care professional indicating that the employee should not have worked, or
should have performed only restricted work, during the weekend. If so, you must
record the injury or illness as a case with days away from work or restricted
work, and enter the day counts, as appropriate.
(vi) How do I record a case in which a worker
is injured or becomes ill on the day before scheduled time off such as a
holiday, a planned vacation, or a temporary plant closing? You need to record a
case of this type only if you receive information from a physician or other
licensed health care professional indicating that the employee should not have
worked, or should have performed only restricted work, during the scheduled
time off. If so, you must record the injury or illness as a case with days away
from work or restricted work, and enter the day counts, as
appropriate.
(vii) Is there a limit
to the number of days away from work I must count? Yes, you may "cap" the total
days away at 180 calendar days. You are not required to keep track of the
number of calendar days away from work if the injury or illness resulted in
more than 180 calendar days away from work and/or days of job transfer or
restriction. In such a case, entering 180 in the total days away column will be
considered adequate.
(viii) May I
stop counting days if an employee who is away from work because of an injury or
illness retires or leaves my company? Yes, if the employee leaves your company
for some reason unrelated to the injury or illness, such as retirement, a plant
closing, or to take another job, you may stop counting days away from work or
days of restriction/job transfer. If the employee leaves your company because
of the injury or illness, you must estimate the total number of days away or
days of restriction/job transfer and enter the day count on the 300
Log.
(ix) If a case occurs in one
year but results in days away during the next calendar year, do I record the
case in both years? No, you only record the injury or illness once. You must
enter the number of calendar days away for the injury or illness on the OSHA
300 Log for the year in which the injury or illness occurred. If the employee
is still away from work because of the injury or illness when you prepare the
annual summary, estimate the total number of calendar days you expect the
employee to be away from work, use this number to calculate the total for the
annual summary, and then update the initial log entry later when the day count
is known or reaches the 180-day cap.
4. How do I record a work-related injury or
illness that results in restricted work or job transfer? When an injury or
illness involves restricted work or job transfer but does not involve death or
days away from work, you must record the injury or illness on the OSHA 300 Log
by placing a check mark in the space for job transfer or restriction and an
entry of the number of restricted or transferred days in the restricted
workdays column.
(i) How do I decide if the
injury or illness resulted in restricted work? Restricted work occurs when, as
the result of a work-related injury or illness:
(I) You keep the employee from performing one
or more of the routine functions of his or her job, or from working the full
workday that he or she would otherwise have been scheduled to work;
or
(II) A physician or other
licensed health care professional recommends that the employee not perform one
or more of the routine functions of his or her job, or not work the full
workday that he or she would otherwise have been scheduled to work.
(ii) What is meant by "routine
functions"? For recordkeeping purposes, an employee's routine functions are
those work activities the employee regularly performs at least once per
week.
(iii) Do I have to record
restricted work or job transfer if it applies only to the day on which the
injury occurred or the illness began? No, you do not have to record restricted
work or job transfers if you, or the physician or other licensed health care
professional, impose the restriction or transfer only for the day on which the
injury occurred or the illness began.
(iv) If you or a physician or other licensed
health care professional recommends a work restriction, is the injury or
illness automatically recordable as a "restricted work" case? No, a recommended
work restriction is recordable only if it affects one or more of the employee's
routine job functions. To determine whether this is the case, you must evaluate
the restriction in light of the routine functions of the injured or ill
employee's job. If the restriction from you or the physician or other licensed
health care professional keeps the employee from performing one or more of his
or her routine job functions, or from working the full workday the injured or
ill employee would otherwise have worked, the employee's work has been
restricted and you must record the case.
(v) How do I record a case where the worker
works only for a partial work shift because of a work-related injury or
illness? A partial day of work is recorded as a day of job transfer or
restriction for recordkeeping purposes, except for the day on which the injury
occurred or the illness began.
(vi)
If the injured or ill worker produces fewer goods or services than he or she
would have produced prior to the injury or illness but otherwise performs all
of the routine functions of his or her work, is the case considered a
restricted work case? No, the case is considered restricted work only if the
worker does not perform all of the routine functions of his or her job or does
not work the full shift that he or she would otherwise have worked.
(vii) How do I handle vague restrictions from
a physician or other licensed health care professional, such as that the
employee engage only in "light duty" or "take it easy for a week"? If you are
not clear about the physician or other licensed health care professional's
recommendation, you may ask that person whether the employee can do all of his
or her routine job functions and work all of his or her normally assigned work
shift. If the answer to both of these questions is "Yes," then the case does
not involve a work restriction and does not have to be recorded as such. If the
answer to one or both of these questions is "No," the case involves restricted
work and must be recorded as a restricted work case. If you are unable to
obtain this additional information from the physician or other licensed health
care professional who recommended the restriction, record the injury or illness
as a case involving restricted work.
(viii) What do I do if a physician or other
licensed health care professional recommends a job restriction meeting TOSHA's
definition, but the employee does all of his or her routine job functions
anyway? You must record the injury or illness on the OSHA 300 Log as a
restricted work case. If a physician or other licensed health care professional
recommends a job restriction, you should ensure that the employee complies with
that restriction. If you receive recommendations from two or more physicians or
other licensed health care professionals, you may make a decision as to which
recommendation is the most authoritative, and record the case based upon that
recommendation.
(ix) How do I
decide if an injury or illness involved a transfer to another job? If you
assign an injured or ill employee to a job other than his or her regular job
for part of the day, the case involves transfer to another job. Note: This does
not include the day on which the injury or illness occurred.
(x) Are transfers to another job recorded in
the same way as restricted work cases? Yes, both job transfer and restricted
work cases are recorded in the same box on the OSHA 300 Log. For example, if
you assign, or a physician or other licensed health care professional
recommends that you assign, an injured or ill worker to his or her routine job
duties for part of the day and to another job for the rest of the day, the
injury or illness involves a job transfer. You must record an injury or illness
that involves a job transfer by placing a check in the box for job
transfer.
(xi) How do I count days
of job transfer or restriction? You count days of job transfer or restriction
in the same way you count days away from work, using Rule 0800-01-03-.03(5)(b)
3.(i) to (viii), above. The only difference is that, if you permanently assign
the injured or ill employee to a job that has been modified or permanently
changed in a manner that eliminates the routine functions the employee was
restricted from performing, you may stop the day count when the modification or
change is made permanent. You must count at least one day of restricted work or
job transfer for such cases.
5. How do I record an injury or illness that
involves medical treatment beyond first aid? If a work-related injury or
illness results in medical treatment beyond first aid, you must record it on
the OSHA 300 Log. If the injury or illness did not involve death, one or more
days away from work, one or more days of restricted work, or one or more days
of job transfer, you enter a check mark in the box for cases where the employee
received medical treatment but remained at work and was not transferred or
restricted.
(i) What is the definition of
medical treatment? "Medical treatment" means the management and care of a
patient to combat disease or disorder. For the purposes of this rule medical
treatment does not include:
(I) Visits to a
physician or other licensed health care professional solely for observation or
counseling;
(II) The conduct of
diagnostic procedures, such as x-rays and blood tests, including the
administration of prescription medications used solely for diagnostic purposes
(e.g., eye drops to dilate pupils); or
(III) "First aid" as defined in subpart (ii)
below.
(ii) What is
"first aid"? For the purposes of this rule, "first aid" means the following:
(I)
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Using a nonprescription medication at
nonprescription strength (for medications available in both prescription and
nonprescription form, a recommendation by a physician or other licensed health
care professional to use a non-prescription medication at prescription strength
is considered medical treatment for recordkeeping purposes);
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(II)
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Administering tetanus immunizations (other
immunizations, such as Hepatitis B vaccine or rabies vaccine, are considered
medical treatment);
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(III)
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Cleaning, flushing or soaking wounds on the surface
of the skin;
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(IV)
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Using wound coverings such as bandages, Band-AidsT,
gauze pads, etc.; or using butterfly bandages or Steri-StripsT (other wound
closing devices such as sutures, staples, etc. are considered medical
treatment);
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(V)
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Using hot or cold therapy;
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(VI)
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Using any non-rigid means of support, such as
elastic bandages, wraps, non-rigid back belts, etc. (devices with rigid stays
or other systems designed to immobilize parts of the body are considered
medical treatment for recordkeeping purposes);
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(VII)
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Using temporary immobilization devices while
transporting an accident victim (e.g., splints, slings, neck collars, back
boards, etc.).
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(VIII)
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Drilling of a fingernail or toenail to relieve
pressure, or draining fluid from a blister;
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(IX)
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Using eye patches;
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(X)
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Removing foreign bodies from the eye using only
irrigation or a cotton swab;
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(XI)
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Removing splinters or foreign material from areas
other than the eye by irrigation, tweezers, cotton swabs or other simple
means;
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(XII)
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Using finger guards;
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(XIII)
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Using massages (physical therapy or chiropractic
treatment are considered medical treatment for recordkeeping purposes);
or
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(XIV)
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Drinking fluids for relief of heat stress.
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(iii) Are any other procedures included in
first aid? No, this is a complete list of all treatments considered first aid
for the purposes of this rule.
(iv)
Does the professional status of the person providing the treatment have any
effect on what is considered first aid or medical treatment? No, the treatments
listed in Rule 0800-01-03-.03(4)(b) 5.(ii) are considered to be first aid
regardless of the professional status of the person providing the treatment.
Even when these treatments are provided by a physician or other licensed health
care professional, they are considered first aid for the purposes of this rule.
Similarly, treatments beyond first aid are considered to be medical treatment
even when it is provided by someone other than a physician or other licensed
health care professional.
(v) What
if a physician or other licensed health care professional recommends medical
treatment but the employee does not follow the recommendation? If a physician
or other licensed health care professional recommends medical treatment, you
should encourage the injured or ill employee to follow that recommendation.
However, you must record the case even if the injured or ill employee does not
follow the physician or other licensed health care professional's
recommendation.
6. Is
every work-related injury or illness case involving a loss of consciousness
recordable? Yes, you must record a work-related injury or illness if the worker
becomes unconscious, regardless of the length of time the employee remains
unconscious.
7. What is a
"significant" diagnosed injury or illness that is recordable under the general
criteria 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? Work-related cases involving cancer, chronic irreversible
disease, a fractured or cracked bone, or a punctured eardrum must always be
recorded under the general criteria at the time of diagnosis by a physician or
other licensed health care professional.
8. Most significant injuries and illnesses
will result in one of the criteria listed in Rule 0800-01-03-.03(4)(a): death,
days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond
first aid, or loss of consciousness. However, there are some significant
injuries, such as a punctured eardrum or a fractured toe or rib, for which
neither medical treatment nor work restrictions may be recommended. In
addition, there are some significant progressive diseases, such as byssinosis,
silicosis, and some types of cancer, for which medical treatment or work
restrictions may not be recommended at the time of diagnosis but are likely to
be recommended as the disease progresses. Cancer, chronic irreversible
diseases, fractured or cracked bones, and punctured eardrums are generally
considered significant injuries and illnesses, and must be recorded at the
initial diagnosis even if medical treatment or work restrictions are not
recommended, or are postponed, in a particular case.