OSHA Recording & Reporting Standard [Healthcare Compliance Tips]

Review and apply OSHA’s “Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries/Illnesses Standard” to your practice immediately.

The standard was created to require employers to record and report work-related fatalities, injuries, and illnesses.

Take into account that recording this information does not necessarily mean the employer was at fault, an OSHA rule was violated, or the employee is eligible for workers’ compensation.

However, all information must be recorded in a uniform and accurate manner to ensure consistency and validity because it may be used to analyze future safety standards.

Practices that have 10 or more employees must maintain the following documentation requirements, such as:

• OSHA Form 300A form
  • This is a summary of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred during the year.

• OSHA Form 301
  • Information from 300A is transferred to this form and posted in a common area of your practice from February 1^st to April 30^th of each year.
  • The form must be visible even if no incidents occurred during the year.

• Sharps Injury Log
  • Injuries such as cuts, lacerations, punctures, and scratches that involved contamination with other persons’ blood or other potentially infectious material should be reported.
  • Log set-up is entirely up to you.

Physician practices with 10 or fewer employees are partially-exempt from federal OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping and posting requirements.

Other documentation requirements:

• ALL physician practices are required to report work-related fatalities within 8 hours and work-related hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye within 24-hours.

• Employee records or documentation regarding OSHA must be kept the duration of employment plus 30 years.

**The opinions and observations from the group/author are not a promise to exempt your practice from fines and penalties.  Research, modify, and tailor the advice to fit your specialty.