SAFETY
■
Using temporary
immobilization devices while
transporting an accident
victim (e.g., splints, slings,
neck collars, back boards,
etc.)
■
Drilling of a fingernail or
toenail to relieve pressure,
or draining fluid from a
blister
■
Using eye patches
■
Removing foreign bodies
from the eye using only
irrigation or a cotton swab
■
Removing splinters or foreign
material from areas other
than the eye by irrigation,
tweezers, cotton swabs or
other simplemeans
■
Using finger guards
■
Usingmassages
■
Drinking fluids for relief of
heat stress
For example, if a laceration
receives one stitchor a
dabof surgical glue, if it is
recommended apatient take
over 467mgof Ibuprofen,
if aperson is given an anti-
inflammatory for a bugbite
or amuscle relaxer for lower
backpain, then a recordable
has occurred.
When a recordablehappens,
several things result. It
must bedocumentedon
OSHA summary sheets that
are available for reviewby
inspectors, (and if chosen as
one of the 80,000 annually
must be sent toOSHA).
It is commonplace inour
industry tohave thenumber
of recordables for thepast
three to five years be sent
as apre-requisite for any
job. Each recordablemust
beuploadedon amonthly,
23
MAY 2014
ACT
available for government
review,will result in client/
contractor follow-upmeetings,
must be reported to customers
for thenext three to five years,
andwillworsen the company’s
safetymetricswhich canbe
detrimental to futurebusiness.
Why the largedifference in
response to the sameminor
injury?Herein enterswhat I
consider tobe themost far-
reaching regulatory standard
–
OSHA’sRecordkeeping
Guidelines
– found inCFR
1904.As a result of this
standard, injuriesmust be
classified as recordable, First-
Aid, lost time, restrictedduty,
etc.Muchof thedetermination
comes fromwhether the
treatment rendered is
consideredFirst-Aidor
medical treatment.
The list of First-Aid
treatments below is taken
from theOSHA standard.Any
treatment beyond those listed
constitutesmedical treatment
and results in a recordable
injury.
■
Using a non-prescription
medication at non-
prescription strength
■
Administering tetanus
immunizations
■
Cleaning, flushing or soaking
surface wounds
■
Using wound coverings such
as bandages, Band-Aids,
gauze pads, etc.; or using
butterfly bandages or Steri-
Strips
■
Using hot or cold therapy
■
Using any non-rigidmeans
of support, such as elastic
bandages, wraps, non-rigid
back belts, etc.
THEAUTHOR
Daniel Erwin
is director of
safety for TNT
Crane &Rigging
inHouston.
Daniel Erwin
discusses the
details of OSHA’s
Recordkeeping
Guidelines
, found in
CFR1904.
quarterlyor annual basis
to the assorted electronic
safetynetworks thereby
making the information
available to each existing and
potential client.Many general
contractors/owners have set
additional standards requiring
recordable incident rates
to remainbelow a certain
threshold for continuedwork.
As thenumber of
recordables leads to either an
increase or decrease inwork
andprojects awarded, a large
changehas occurred in the
medical field.Occupational
clinics havepoppedup all
over the country. These
providers are aware of the
1904 guidelines and advertise
an “employer friendly”
approach.Occupational
nurses are inhighdemand
to treat injuries onsite in
the same friendlyway.
Howmuch time is spent
by safetyprofessionals
speakingwith and choosing
medical providers anddoing
everythingpossible after the
injury to avoid the recordable
classification?
Inwhat other areaof our
industry aremillions of
dollars and thousands of
hours spent on the avoidance
of something after the fact?
I think the attempted
avoidance of certain injury
classifications and the
reportingof past, lagging
indicators is takingmore time
and effort than the actual
workof preemptively avoiding
incidents.What regulation
couldbemore far-reaching
than that?
■
What is a
recordable
injury?
I
recentlyoverheard a
conversationdiscussing
which regulatory standards
were themost far-reaching
inour industry.Whichhave
caused themost changeor
demand themost attention?
Is it the recentDOTCSA
regulations, thenewOSHA
crane standard, or others?
Theyoffered several options
and justified eachone.
Afterwards, I cameupwith a
different answer than anyof
thoseproposed.
Insteadofmegivingmy
opinion, allowme to first share
an exampleofwhy I feel the
way I do. Imaginewatching
a childplay abaseball game
inwhichhe slightly twistshis
ankle.Hegritshis teeth,walks
it off, plays the remainder
of thegame in somepain,
and ismost likely applauded
forhisdedication. If that
child’sparent twistshis orher
anklewhile at theirplaceof
business, allwork in the area
will probably stop, detailed
reportswill be created and
shared, a check at a clinic
will be recommended, x-rays
and/or other scanswill be
conducted, andmany times,
aprescription-strength
anti-inflammatoryorpain
medicationwill beprovided.
This injurymust thenbe
