COSS - Certified Occupational Safety Specialist OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An employee receives a small cut on their finger while working. The on-site first aid provider cleans the wound, applies a butterfly bandage, and gives the employee a non-prescription pain reliever at its recommended dosage. Is this incident an OSHA recordable case?
- Yes, because a butterfly bandage is considered a wound closing device similar to sutures.
- No, because the treatment provided falls entirely under OSHA's definition of first aid. (Correct answer)
- Yes, because any administration of pain medication, prescription or not, makes an incident recordable.
- No, because the employee did not have any days away from work or job restrictions.
Correct answer: No, because the treatment provided falls entirely under OSHA's definition of first aid.
According to 29 CFR 1904.7(b)(5)(ii), using wound coverings like butterfly bandages or Steri-Strips is considered first aid. Additionally, providing non-prescription medication at non-prescription strength is also explicitly listed as first aid. Since all treatment provided is defined as first aid, the case is not recordable unless it results in other criteria like days away from work, which was not the case here.
Question 2: A company experiences a workplace incident where an employee suffers the amputation of a fingertip. According to OSHA's severe injury reporting requirements, what is the maximum amount of time the employer has to report this event directly to OSHA?
- 8 hours
- 72 hours
- 24 hours (Correct answer)
- 7 calendar days
Correct answer: 24 hours
According to 29 CFR 1904.39(a), an employer must report any in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye to OSHA within 24 hours of the work-related incident. The 8-hour reporting requirement is specifically for fatalities.
Question 3: Which OSHA recordkeeping form is known as the 'Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses' and must be posted in a conspicuous place for employees to view from February 1st to April 30th?
- OSHA Form 301
- OSHA Form 300A (Correct answer)
- OSHA Form 300
- OSHA Form 1904
Correct answer: OSHA Form 300A
The OSHA Form 300A is the annual summary form. It contains the total number of cases, days away, and other summary data from the OSHA 300 Log. Per 29 CFR 1904.32, this summary must be certified by a company executive and posted from February 1 to April 30 of the year following the year it covers.
Question 4: An employee is injured in the company parking lot. Which of the following scenarios would most likely make the injury NOT work-related and therefore NOT recordable on the OSHA 300 Log?
- The employee slips on ice while walking from their car to the plant entrance at the start of their shift.
- The employee is struck by a company-owned forklift while walking through the parking lot during their work shift.
- The employee is injured in a motor vehicle accident while commuting to work before their shift begins. (Correct answer)
- The employee trips over a pothole while walking to another company building for a required meeting.
Correct answer: The employee is injured in a motor vehicle accident while commuting to work before their shift begins.
According to 29 CFR 1904.5(b)(2)(vii), injuries occurring in a company parking lot or on a company access road during an employee's commute to or from work as the result of a motor vehicle accident are not considered work-related. The other scenarios occur on the company premises while the employee is present as a condition of employment, making them work-related.
Question 5: An employee sprains their ankle at work on a Wednesday. A physician recommends the employee stay home for the rest of Wednesday, all of Thursday, and all of Friday. The employee is normally scheduled to be off on Saturday and Sunday and returns to full duty on Monday. How many days away from work should be recorded on the OSHA 300 Log?
- 2
- 3
- 5
- 4 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 4
Per 29 CFR 1904.7(b)(3), you must count the number of calendar days the employee was unable to work, regardless of whether they were scheduled to work or not. The count begins the day after the injury occurred. Therefore, Thursday (1), Friday (2), Saturday (3), and Sunday (4) are all counted, for a total of 4 days.
Question 6: OSHA provides partial exemptions from routine recordkeeping for certain low-hazard industries. Where would a safety specialist find the official list of exempt industries identified by their NAICS code?
- The General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act
- Appendix A to Subpart B of 29 CFR 1904 (Correct answer)
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) annual 'Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses'
- The company's insurance carrier's loss control manual
Correct answer: Appendix A to Subpart B of 29 CFR 1904
29 CFR 1904.2 specifies that employers in certain low-hazard industries are not required to keep routine OSHA injury and illness records. The definitive list of these exempt industries, identified by their North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, is found in Appendix A to Subpart B of the recordkeeping standard, 29 CFR 1904.
COSS - Certified Occupational Safety Specialist OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements Questions and Answers
An employee receives a small cut on their finger while working.
The on-site first aid provider cleans the wound, applies a butterfly bandage, and gives the employee a non-prescription pain reliever at its recommended dosage.
Is this incident an OSHA recordable case?