Employees who suffer on-the-job injuries don’t always want to report their injuries, but ensuring they report them is critical. Once the employee reports the injury, the employer may have to record the injury with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This becomes part of the employer’s injury and illness records.
A minor injury that only requires basic first aid may not need to be recorded. A more serious injury that involves medical treatment, missed work, restricted duty or job transfer would need to be recorded.
Why are injuries recorded?
The purpose of recording injuries with OSHA is to help track specific workplace hazards and identify patterns that might be present. Looking at the records can show the reasons for the workplace injuries. These may be repetitive tasks, falls, machinery or chemicals. These records can also be beneficial in evaluating and updating safety protocols within the company.
When is an injury recordable?
Whether an injury is recordable or not depends largely on the results of the injury. Death, days off of work, restricted work, loss of consciousness or treatment beyond first aid require recording.
Understanding the difference between medical treatment and first aid is critical. For example, stitches are a medical treatment, but a self-adhesive bandage is first aid. Even if only first aid is provided, the injury would likely be recordable if the injured worker can’t perform their job duties.
Injured workers should ensure that they promptly report any work-related injuries and keep track of the results of the injury. A clear record is often beneficial when the worker has to battle for the workers’ compensation benefits they’re due.