AboutMike Brown CSP Retired Expertise I specialize in the professional management of occupational safety and health as well as workers` compensation to reduce losses and improve production and address related issues through a comprehensive approach by senior management using proven principals.I worked for over twenty (20) years in the management of occupational safety, health and workers` compensation and safety training (Retired from employment in 1996 due to a stroke, which prevented the extensive travel required).
Question An employee at my company was injured while unloading a sheet of glass off of a truck. While setting it down the employee missed the setting blocks and hit the corner of the glass sheet on the concrete floor causing the top part of the glass sheet to crack and fall. The employee tried to move out of the way of the glass but was unsuccessful. The glass hit his hand and cut it. The employee was taken for medical attention and received five sutures. So of coarse this is a recordable injury that we have too put down on our 300 log. This incident happened on a Friday. The following Monday, three hours into the shift, the employee told his supervisor that they had strained their knee during the incident on Friday. The employee stated that they thought they had “torn their ACL”. The employee was then taken for medical treatment again on Monday for their knee and received a prescription painkiller (Lortab). So my question is this, would this second injury require us to put this down as another recordable injury on our 300 log or would we only have to put down one since the second injury “apparently” occurred during the initial incident.
Also, could you point me to any of the OSHA recordkeeping regulations that might deal with this type of scenario (if they exist)?
Thanks again for the help!
Answer Subject: One Recordable Injury or Two?
Question: An employee at my company was injured while unloading a sheet of glass off of a truck. While setting it down the employee missed the setting blocks and hit the corner of the glass sheet on the concrete floor causing the top part of the glass sheet to crack and fall. The employee tried to move out of the way of the glass but was unsuccessful. The glass hit his hand and cut it. The employee was taken for medical attention and received five sutures. So of coarse this is a recordable injury that we have too put down on our 300 log. This incident happened on a Friday. The following Monday, three hours into the shift, the employee told his supervisor that they had strained their knee during the incident on Friday. The employee stated that they thought they had “torn their ACL”. The employee was then taken for medical treatment again on Monday for their knee and received a prescription painkiller (Lortab). So my question is this, would this second injury require us to put this down as another recordable injury on our 300 log or would we only have to put down one since the second injury “apparently” occurred during the initial incident. Also, could you point me to any of the OSHA recordkeeping regulations that might deal with this type of scenario (if they exist)? Thanks again for the help!
Answer: One Recordable Injury. Both problems arose out of the same incident so the OSHA Recordkeeping Book says ONE Incident. Go to: http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/handbook/index.html and scroll down to “Section 1904.4 Recording criteria” and you will find a “decision tree for recording work-related injuries and illnesses”. I would suggest you bookmark this web site as most answers to recordkeeping requirements are there. Not easy to always find but most times they are there.
Michael Brown, CSP Retired
