What is a diagnosed "significant" injury or illness that is reportable even if it does not result in death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness?
Work-related cases involving cancer, chronic irreversible disease, a fractured or cracked bone, or a punctured eardrum must always be recorded under the general criteria at the time of diagnosis by a physician or other licensed health care professional.
Please Note: OSHA believes that most significant injuries and illnesses will result in one of the criteria listed: (a): death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness. However, there are some significant injuries, such as a punctured eardrum or a fractured toe or rib, for which neither medical treatment nor work restrictions may be recommended. In addition, there are some significant progressive diseases, such as byssinosis, silicosis, and some types of cancer, for which medical treatment or work restrictions may not be recommended at the time of diagnosis but are likely to be recommended as the disease progresses. Cancer, chronic
irreversible diseases, fractured or cracked bones, and punctured eardrums are generally considered significant injuries and illnesses, and must be recorded at the initial diagnosis even if medical treatment or work restrictions are not recommended, or are postponed, in a particular case.
OSHA requires that we log OSHA "recordable" injuries and illnesses within 7 calendar days when we first find out a recordable injury or illness has occurred. The tickler system is used in order to meet the OSHA recording requirement of 7 calendar days and for Supervisors to easily update changes in the injury or illness.
If for example, an initial report of injury turned into a subsequent illness such as a sharps exposure turned into a subsequent blood borne pathogen illness, please indicate this by clicking "Yes." If there has been a change in diagnosis of the injury or illness; for example a sprained foot was initially reported and later it was diagnosed as a broken ankle, please click "Yes." Please check "Yes" if there was a significant injury or illness diagnosed by a Licensed Health Care Provider (LHCP).
If this is not a new incident or accident, then it is not a new case. There is a Help menu for this in OARS. Follow up ticklers do not mean new cases. If this is a new case, please login through MYUW and submit a new report by clicking on the link provided.
You must record all work-related needle stick injuries and cuts from sharp objects that are contaminated with another person's blood or other potentially infectious material (OPIM), as defined by chapter 296-823 WAC, Occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens. To protect the employee's privacy, please use the "Confidential" radio button on the OARS reporting form to delete the Employee's name from the report.
What does "other potentially infectious materials" mean? The term "other potentially infectious materials" (OPIM) is defined in the blood borne pathogens portion of Part J (Biological Agents) of chapter 296-62 WAC, General occupational health standards. These materials include:
The following human body fluids:
- · Semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids;
AND/OR
- · HIV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and HIV- or HBV-containing culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV;
- Any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead).
If the injury does not involve blood or OPIM, use OARS to record how the event or exposure occurred, under Nature of Injury or Illness, chose cut/laceration/puncture and complete the rest of the form and do not click "yes" on the question "Does the incident involve a sharps/needle stick or a splash incident involving blood borne pathogens?"
If the injury does involve blood or OPIM, use OARS to record how the event or exposure occurred, under Exposure to Harmful Substances or Environment, check needle stick, under Nature of the Injury or Illness, chose Infectious, Bacterial, and Viral Disorders, under Source of the Injury, chose either Person, Plant, Animal, Office/Specialty Machinery or Tools, Instrument, Equipment. On the OSHA 300 Recordable page, click "yes" on the question "Does the incident involve a sharps/needle stick or a splash incident involving blood borne pathogens?"
If the cut, laceration, or scratch involves a clean object, or a contaminant other than blood or other potentially infectious material, you need to record the case only if it meets one or more of the recording criteria.
You need to record such an incident on the OARS report as an illness if:
- It results in the diagnosis of a blood borne illness, such as HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C;
AND/OR
- Death
- Days away from work
- Restricted work or transfer to another job
- Medical treatment beyond first aid (such as prophylactic treatment
- Loss of consciousness
- A significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional
Yes, you must update the classification of the case on the OARS report if the case results in death, days away from work, restricted work, or job transfer. You must also update the description to identify the infectious disease and change the classification of the case from an injury to an illness. You may use the 72 hour and 30 day tickler or call the OARS Help Desk at 206.543.7388.
What if one of my employees is splashed or exposed to blood or other potentially infectious material without being cut or scratched? Do I need to record this incident?
You need to record such an incident on the OARS report as an illness if:
- It results in the diagnosis of a blood borne illness, such as HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C;
AND/OR
- Death
- Days away from work
- Restricted work or transfer to another job
- Medical treatment beyond first aid (such as prophylactic treatment
- Loss of consciousness
- A significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional
Describe the event or exposure by choosing Exposure to Harmful Substances or Environment and bodily fluid splash. Chose Nature of the injury or Illness and Infectious, Bacterial, and Viral Disorders. Source of the Injury or Illness is typically Person, Plant, Animals. On the OSHA 300 Recordable page, answer "yes" to "Does the incident involve a sharps/needle stick or a splash incident involving blood borne pathogens?"
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