OSHA's Revised Recordkeeping Rule--Defines 'First Aid Case'

OSHA's revised recordkeeping rule has been cleared by the Bush administration and will go into effect January 1, 2002. Only work-related injuries requiring medical treatment are to be recorded in the new OSHA 300 logs. First aid cases do not need to be reported.

Here's the difference, according to OSHA:

• First aid is usually administered after the injury or illness occurs and at the location where it occurred.
• First aid generally consists of one-time or short-term treatment.
• First aid treatments are usually simple and require little or no technology.
• First aid can be administered by people with little training (beyond first aid training) and even by the injured or ill person.
• First aid is usually administered to keep the condition from worsening, while the victim awaits medical treatment.
• Cleaning, flushing or soaking wounds on the skin surface multiple times is still first aid.
• Multiple applications of first aid do not constitute medical treatment.

Other examples of first aid include: using a non-prescription medication at nonprescription strength; using hot or cold therapy; using any temporary immobilization devices; draining fluid from a blister; removing foreign bodies from the eye using only irrigation a cotton swab; using finger guards; use of massage (but physical and chiropractic therapy are considered medical treatment); and drinking fluids to relieve heat stress.