WORK-RELATEDNESS

It’s important to remember that if work makes any contribution to the injury or illness, it is considered work‐related for OSHA recordkeeping purposes.

There are certain activities that occur in the work environment that OSHA does not consider work-related. For example, injuries resulting directly from eating, drinking, or preparing one’s own food at the workplace are not considered work-related.

There are nine exceptions that are not considered work-related, even though they may meet the criteria above. You do NOT have to record cases that meet the following:

1. Worker present as a member of the general public
2. Symptoms arising in work environment that are solely due to non-work-related event or exposure (Regardless of where signs or symptoms surface, a case is work-related only if a work event or exposure is a discernable cause of the injury or illness or of a significant aggravation to a pre-existing condition.)
3. Voluntary participation in wellness program, medical, fitness or recreational activity
4. Eating, drinking or preparing food or drink for personal consumption
5. Personal tasks outside assigned working hours
6. Personal grooming, self medication for non-work-related condition, or intentionally self-inflicted
7. Motor vehicle accident in parking lot/access road during commute
8. Common cold or flu
9. Mental illness, unless employee voluntarily provides a medical opinion from a physician or licensed health care professional (PLHCP) having appropriate qualifications and experience that affirms work-relatedness

Cases meeting the conditions of the listed exceptions to work relationship in the rule are not considered work-related and are, therefore, not recordable. For example, if a grocery store employee is shopping in the store after work, falls and is injured, the employee is present as a member of the general public and the case is not work-related.

Likewise, if an employee has a diabetic episode and must be given prescription medications, the diabetes is solely due to a non-work-related event or exposure, and is not work-related.

Regardless of where signs or symptoms surface, a case is work-related only if a work event or exposure is a discernable cause of the injury or illness or of a significant aggravation to a pre-existing condition.

If an employee passes out giving blood or is injured playing basketball – the case is due to voluntary participation in a wellness or fitness program and is not work-related.

If an employee burns his lip on a cup of coffee or chokes on a sandwich – the case is due to eating food or drink for personal consumption, and is not work-related. 

If an employee uses the employer’s sewing machine to make tents for the Girl Scouts after the shift has ended, this is a personal task outside of assigned working hours and any injury that would occur during that task is not work-related.

If an employee has a negative reaction to asthma medication for personal allergies, gets mascara in the eye, or commits suicide – the cases are from self medication for a non-work-related condition, personal grooming, or intentionally self-inflicted and are not work-related.

If an employee is injured in a motor vehicle accident going to or leaving work at the beginning or end of the shift, or for a personal errand – the case is not work-related.  However, if the employee slips on the ice in the parking lot, or is in a car wreck doing business - the case is work-related. 

If an employee catches a cold or the flu, the case is not work-related.  

Mental illness is work-related only if the employee voluntarily provides the employer with a written opinion from a PLHCP with appropriate qualifications and experience that affirms a work-related mental illness.  The employer is under no responsibility to seek out mental illnesses. In addition, the employer may also get a second opinion from another PLHCP and accept the opinion of the most qualified PLHCP.