Tips to Avoid Common Pitfalls in Injury and Illness Recordkeeping

摘要

Evaluate work-relatedness carefully. This can be a particular challenge where an employee is suffering from a musculoskeletal disorder or respiratory illness that developed over time. Where the cause of a particular injury or illness is unclear, the employer must evaluate the employee's workplace activities to determine whether work activities were a discernible cause of the injury or illness. Consultation with a physician is permitted and encouraged for difficult cases. Don't confuse the need for recrodkeeping with fault or blame. The OSHA recordkeeping requirements are designed to be no-fault. If an employee is injured at work in a bizarre accident, or even because of the employee's own misconduct that violated the employer's safety policies, the injury may still be recordable if it meets the definition of "work-related" and meets any of the other recording criteria. Be aware of employees who travel or work from home. Do not assume that just because an injury occurs "off site" that it is not recordable. Employees who are injured while traveling for work or working from home may still be recordable. Even pre-existing conditions may be recordable. If an event or exposure in the workplace causes or contributes to the significant aggravation of a pre-existing condition, the injury or illness may be recordable.