Employers across Illinois may find it hard to determine when a workplace injury or illness is meant to be recorded on OSHA’s Form 300. OSHA has specific rules on record keeping, and though there are admittedly gray areas, it expects compliance, as a failure to comply can lead to stiff penalties.
This is where XpertHR comes in with its new Top 10 Q&As and Checklist for OSHA Compliance. The checklist can especially guide employers who are struggling with compliance. It gives various real-world scenarios and explains how one would evaluate them in accord with OSHA rules. These scenarios include ergonomic injuries, illnesses caught by seasonal workers, injuries incurred during business trips and cases of workers fainting on the job.
OSHA requires certain types of injuries to be recorded. First are all serious work-related injuries, such as injuries that lead to time off work, loss of consciousness, a transfer to a different job or restrictions for the victim if he or she continues to work the same job. Even less serious injuries, if they require medical treatment beyond the use of first aid, must be recorded.
Oftentimes, employers do not even know OSHA’s requirements for keeping records, and XpertHR’s checklist can be helpful in this regard as well. This is just one part of the proper response to injuries.
As for the injured parties themselves, they generally may file for workers’ compensation benefits regardless of who, if anyone, was at fault. They should know, of course, that benefits are not guaranteed as employers have the ability to deny payment. For this and other reasons, they may want a lawyer by their side throughout the process.
