- OSHA is a branch of the U.S. Dept. of Labor.Department of Treasury Building image by dwight9592 from Fotolia.com
In 1970 the Occupational Health and Safety Act was enacted as a way to take the various states' laws regarding workplace safety and place them all under one agency--OSHA. The intention was that any loopholes or gaps in safety would be more readily addressed on the federal level, and the rules and guidelines for how a business must protect its workers would be consistent no matter where you worked. - Workplace injuries often result in OSHA recordables.ANKLE FRACTURE image by Dr Cano from Fotolia.com
OSHA has definite guidelines for reporting injuries. The list of OSHA recordables includes death, loss of consciousness, transfers (due to the permanent loss of ability after an injury), days away from work (due to a work-related injury or illness) and other significant injuries. This list was developed through statistical analysis of workplace accidents, and the determination was made that anything requiring medical intervention would be reportable. - Hearing protection helps prevent hearing lossred earplugs image by Christopher Niemann from Fotolia.com
Hearing loss is a significant risk for persons in industries where constant exposure to high levels of noise is a daily event. Some of these are manufacturing, airports, and electricity generating plants. OSHA requires these workers to have their hearing tested on a yearly basis. Enhanced hearing protection is provided for these workers. However, there are still instances of punctured eardrums triggering an OSHA recordable. Illnesses, such as asbestosis--a lung disease from repeated exposure to, and breathing in of, asbestos fibers--are also considered OSHA recordables. Even some cancers, if they can be traced back to a workplace exposure, are considered OSHA recordables. In these cases, OSHA investigators make the determination for what is and is not deemed a workplace-related illness. - Injuries treatable with first aid measures are not reported.band-aid image by Rick Sargeant from Fotolia.com
Just as there are definitive guidelines for what is considered an OSHA recordable, there are also guidelines for what is not considered an OSHA recordable. For instance, sutures (stitches) are always an OSHA recordable, but suture replacements, such as butterfly closures, are not. Any medication that is normally over-the-counter is not recordable, even if it is dispensed by a doctor. In general, any illness or injury that can be treated with simple first aid methods is not considered an OSHA recordable. - Workers are safer today than ever before.worker image by Robert Kelly from Fotolia.com
The creation of OSHA has significantly impacted worker safety across the country by bringing consistent standards to every industry. Today, a welder in Maryland is covered by the same rules and safeguards as one in Texas. OSHA continues to evolve as the face of the American worker changes, and much emphasis is currently being placed on repetitive motion injuries that often come with typing on a keyboard, assembly line work and other jobs where the worker repeats the same task over and over.
