Part of managing risk is dealing with accidents correctly when they do happen.
Primary differences between recordable and non-recordable injuries:
Recordable Injury/Illness
- Fatality
- Loss of Consciousness
- Days away from work (severity) due to injury/illness
- Restricted/light duty work ordered by provider
- Transfer to another job
- Medical treatment beyond first aid, such as:
- Diagnostic test with positive findings (x-rays, CT scan, etc.)
- Usually includes admission to hospital
- Sutures given
- Therapy prescribed/given
- Using a type of derma-bond material to close a wound
- Prescription medications (including general OTC medications given at prescription level)
- Significant injury/illness diagnosed by a physician
- Accident/illness happened in the course of work
Non-Recordable Injury/Illness
- Visit to provider solely for observation or evaluation
- Diagnostic tests done but negative findings
- First aid given, including:
- Tetanus shot
- Cleaning, flushing or soaking surface wound
- Wound coverings (includes butterfly bandage, steristrips)
- Hot/cold therapy (ice pack, etc.)
- Non-rigid type of support (wrap)
- Temporary immobilization device used to transport accident victims
- Drilling of fingernail/toenail
- Draining fluid from blister
- Eye patch
- Removing foreign body from eye with irrigation/cotton swab
- Removing splinters/foreign body from all other areas by irrigation, tweezers, swab, etc.
- Finger guard
- Massage
- Drink fluids for relief of heat stress
- Using a type of liquid bandage which only covers a wound
- Non-prescription or OTC medications given
- Accident/illness happened outside course of work
- i.e., walking in parking lot after hours. This would be different if an employee were in the parking lot for work reasons – such as removing snow – in which case this would be recordable.
- Personal Illness
- EXCEPTION: Must call OSHA if fatal heart attack – OSHA will investigate to determine work-relatedness