9.2 Recordkeeping

Employers must keep records of work related illnesses and injuries and must report some cases to OSHA. Recording or reporting a case does not mean that the employer or worker was at fault, that a rule was broken, or that the worker is entitled to compensation. It is only the OSHA record keeping rule.

Who must keep records

Some employers are partly exempt because of their size or their industry. Even then they must report fatalities and serious injuries, and must take part in OSHA's or the Bureau of Labor Statistics' annual surveys if asked. Covered employers must record each work related fatality, injury or illness that is a new case and meets the recording criteria.

What is work related

A case is work related if an event or exposure at work caused or contributed to the condition, or significantly aggravated an existing condition. Work relatedness is presumed for injuries and illnesses that result from events or exposures in the work environment.

Exceptions include cases where:

• the person is at the workplace as a member of the general public
• the symptoms arise at work but come solely from a non-work event or exposure
• the case results from voluntary participation in a wellness program or medical, fitness or recreational activity, such as a flu shot or blood donation
• the case results solely from eating, drinking or preparing food for personal consumption
• the person was doing personal tasks outside assigned working hours
• a motor vehicle accident happened in a parking lot or on an access road during a commute
• the case results solely from personal grooming or self medication for a non-work condition, or is intentionally self inflicted
• the person has the common cold or flu
• the person has a mental illness, unless a health care professional gives an opinion that it is work related

Injuries and illnesses during work travel are work related if they occur while the person is engaged in work in the interest of the employer. Those that occur while working at home are work related if they occur while doing paid work in the home and are directly related to the work rather than the general home environment.

What must be recorded

A case is recorded if it results in:

• death
• days away from work
• restricted work or transfer to another job
• medical treatment beyond first aid
• loss of consciousness
• a significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional
• a needlestick or cut from a sharp that is contaminated with another person's blood or other infectious material
• an exposure to blood or other infectious material that results in a diagnosis of a bloodborne disease, or meets the general criteria
• work related hearing loss

A study aid, not published or endorsed by IOSH or OSHA. Laws and limits differ between countries.