The OSHA Recordkeeping Standard

As OSHA continues to reach out to employers to encourage a higher level of
compliance with OSHA standards, a simplified method of recording workplace injuries
has been developed. The new OSHA Log of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses is
simplified in format and language.

The OSH Act of 1970 requires (certain) employers to prepare and maintain records of
work-related injuries and illness. Up to now, the required form was the OSHA 200 Log
of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. We will record and maintain all necessary forms
and documentation about our safety program as well as all recordable injuries and
illnesses.

This information is to advise you that we intend to comply with Section 1904 of
OSHA’s regulations. Any employer with 10 or more employees in most industries must
keep the following two OSHA records;

Effective January 1, 2002, the OSHA 200 Log of Occupational Injuries and Illness is
being replaced by the much simplified OSHA 300. The Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) 1904.4- 1904.7 is the section that explains the new rules. This improved form
should reduce the amount of paperwork needed to comply with injury tracking.
The OSHA 300 Log is used to record the annual injuries and illnesses in the workplace.
The 300 log is used to classify work related injuries and to note the severity of each
case. The injury must be logged within 7 calendar days.
The OSHA 300 A is the Summary of those injuries/illnesses that must be posted each
year for 3 months, February 1 to April 30, after the appropriate columns have been
tabulated.

The OSHA 301 is the OSHA Injury/illness Report which gives the basic information
and the details about the injured worker. If your Workers’ Compensation Injury Report
meets the basic data of the 301 then the employer can use that form to comply. This
form must be kept for 5 years.

Employees are allowed to access their individual 301 form or the equivalent substitute.
Each location of an employer must maintain and post the OSHA 300 Log if the
location will be in operation for a year or more.

Exempt Employers:

Employers with 10 or fewer workers do not need to maintain the OSHA 300.
The industries of real estate, finance, insurance, retail and other low hazard industries do
not need to comply.

Required entries to the OSHA 300 Log are:

– Death (except from a commercial vehicle)
– Loss of Consciousness
– Days away from work
– Restricted work activity or job transfer
– Any other significant work related injury
– Needlestick or cut by a sharp contaminated with another persons bodily fluid
– Any medical monitoring as required by OSHA
– Tuberculosis infection, evidenced by a positive skin test of doctor diagnosis
– Medical treatment, beyond First Aid.

First Aid cases, those injuries that receive in-house care, do not need to be logged on
the OSHA 300.

First Aid is generally defined as post injury care:

– at the employers location
– providing short-term, one time treatment
– cleansing, flushing, and soaking
– multiple application of first aid is not medical treatment
– administering non-prescription medication
– using hot or cold therapy
– draining fluid from a blister
– removing foreign bodies from the eyes
– any doctor visit for diagnostic purposes

Restricted Work Activity means a health care professional has prescribed keeping an
employee from doing his normal routine functions of the job. Count calendar days
starting the first day after the injury up to a maximum of 180 days (6 months).
Procedure for workers to report injures and illness to their employer must be
developed and communicated. This can be as simple as a Poster stating that all
workplace injuries must be reported to the supervisor immediately.

The new 300 OSHA log has delayed the requirement to log:

– Hearing loss, when there is a 25 decibel or more shift @2000 Hertz, and
– Musculoskeletal or ergonomic injuries.

Privacy concerns- names may be eliminated and the word “privacy” inserted for any
injury to a reproductive system, a sexual assault, mental illness, HIV infection, needle
sticks or employee request.

If the data changes after you have a made an entry, simply draw a line through the old
entry and write the new information above it.

Injuries include: lacerations, fracture, bruise, electrocution, sprain, and others.
Illnesses are heat strokes, skin disorders, respiratory conditions, poisoning, and others.

To calculate your Incidence Rate:

Total # of Injuries and Illnesses
——————————————– x 200,000 = Incidence Rate
Total hours worked by all employees