Is Willie a OSHA Recordable? What Would You do About it?
Willie works in your Shipping Department. On Friday, October 13, 2023 he comes to you just before lunch and says. "My back really hurts! I was lifting a box and I felt a twinge in it this morning and it just keeps getting worse the longer I work! I got to go to the Chiropractor now! I just called her and she has an appointment in 30 minutes. I am going."
In your state you have no practical ability to decide what doctor or licensed medical person an employee sees initially after an injury, like my state of (WI). In your state, like mine, a DC is considered a licensed medical person whose opinion is equal to a MD or DO.
Wille, comes back to work a couple hours later and the slip from the DC says they X-rayed, applied heat, but did not do any manipulation. Also on the slip it says, "Employee may RTW (Return to Work) on Monday, October 16, 2023. If needed he may return for further evaluation." Willie is not scheduled to work the weekend.
As it stands this afternoon if you do nothing, is Wille's Injury an OSHA Recordable?
What if anything would you do about it.
Comments (12)
Yep, it would be a recordable because the PLHCP told him to take off two days of work, regardless of whether he is scheduled to work those days or if he even follows their orders.
As far as follow-up on the incident, a few things I'd suggest are:
- What was he lifting? How much did it weigh? Where was he going with it?
- Is there any way to verify proper lifting techniques were used (e.g., cameras, witnesses)?
- Do you have any SOPs for manually handling that particular box?
- Has he been trained in all applicable SOPs for this, such as proper lifting techniques, when to use team lifts, etc.?
- Were there any other variables involved, such as him having to carry the load a longer distance than normal due to a pallet being in the way, having to pick it up off the ground due to the lift table not working, etc.?
- Any similar incidents in the past to analyze for trends?
- Are lift aids/tools/equipment needed?
- Why did he not report it sooner?
- Do you need an ergonomic specialist to come in and evaluate the work station?
Great topic, Fitz! Curious to see what others would add to this.
This would be a great debate to have with a cold beer in hand at a Safety Knights happy hour! When is the next one?
Recordable. Once he misses work whether scheduled or not. However, I would send him to a company medical provider and have claimed injury assessed by a specialist. A specialists diagnosis over rides the PHLCP as I understand.