Section 350.220  Recordable Injuries and Illnesses

a)         Records of occupational injuries and illnesses must be completed and maintained in accordance with the applicable provisions outlined in 29 CFR 1904 by the employer for every occupational death, every nonfatal occupational illness, and every nonfatal occupational injury that results in death, loss of consciousness, days away from work, restricted work activity or job transfer, or medical treatment beyond first aid.  An injury or illness is considered work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment caused or contributed to the condition or significantly aggravated a preexisting condition.

b)         The following conditions must also be recorded, when they are work-related:

1)         Any needlestick injury or cut from a sharp object that is contaminated with another person's blood or other potentially infectious material;

2)         Any case requiring an employee to be medically removed under the requirements of an OSHA health standard; and

3)         Tuberculosis infection as evidenced by a positive skin test or diagnosis by a physician or other licensed healthcare provider after exposure to a known case of active tuberculosis.

4)        An employee's hearing test reveals that the employee has experienced a Standard Threshold Shift (STS) in hearing in one or both ears and the employee's total hearing level is 25 decibels or more above audiometric zero in the same ear or ears as the STS.

c)         Medical treatment includes managing and caring for a patient for the purpose of combating disease or disorder.  The following are not considered medical treatment, thus are not recordable:

1)         Visit to a doctor or healthcare professional solely for observation or counseling;

2)         Diagnostic procedures, including administering prescription medications that are used solely for diagnostic purposes; and

3)         Any procedure that can be labeled first aid.

d)         Incidents requiring only the following types of treatment are considered first aid and are not required to be recorded:

1)         Using non-prescription medications at non-prescription strength;

2)         Administering tenanus immunizations;

3)         Cleaning, flushing, or soaking wounds on the skin surface;

4)         Using wound coverings, such as bandages, BandAidsÔ, gauze pads, etc., or using SteriStripsÔ or butterfly bandages;

5)         Using hot or cold therapy;

6)         Using any totally non-rigid means of support, such as elastic bandages, wraps, non-rigid back belts, etc;

7)         Using temporary immobilization devices while transporting a victim (splints, slings, neck collars, or backboards);

8)         Drilling a fingernail or toenail to relieve pressure, or draining fluid from blisters;

9)         Using eye patches;

10)         Using simple irrigation or a cotton swab to remove foreign bodies not embedded in or adhered to the eye;

11)         Using irrigation, tweezers, cotton swabs or other simple means to remove splinters or foreign material from areas other than the eye;

12)         Using finger guards;

13)         Using massages;

14)         Drinking fluids to relieve heat stress.