An employee was recently injured on the job. How do I know whether or not I need to record the incident?

If an injury or illness meets the general recording criteria, you must record it, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). An injury or illness meets the criteria 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.

“Accurate records are not simply paperwork, but have an important, in fact life-saving purpose,” explains Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “They will enable employers, employees, researchers, and the government to identify and eliminate the most serious workplace hazards – ones that have already caused injuries and illnesses to occur.”

The infographic below from Safety.BLR.com will help you determine how to react when an employee is injured or becomes ill on the job, including whether to record the event in OSHA’s Log of Work Related Injuries and Illnesses (Form 300).

How do you respond when an employee is injured or becomes ill at your facility? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the Comments section below.