         Maritime
Employment
         Maritime
Employment
                  INJURY AND ILLNESS REPORTING AND RECORDING
                                       
The recording and reporting of occupational injuries and illnesses help employers learn of and correct dangerous conditions, and ensure injured or ill employees receive the proper medical attention and/or worker's compensation benefits to which they are entitled. Employers are required to report this information to OSHA on a regular basis, which relies on worker involvement to ensure what is reported is accurate.  Reporting a work-related injury or illness is a core employee right and responsibility. 

Terminology You Should Know

An Injury or Illness, defined by 1904.46, is an abnormal condition or disorder. Injuries include cases such as, but are not limited to, a cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation. Illnesses include both acute and chronic illnesses, such as, but not limited to, a skin disease, respiratory disorder, or poisoning.  

A Recordable Injury consists of any new, work-related injury or illness that results in loss of consciousness, days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, and medical treatment beyond first aid (e.g., hospitalization).  Significant work-related injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed healthcare professional is also considered recordable.

How Reporting Information is Used

The number of incidents reported by the establishment is used to calculate the rate by industry, type, demographics, and other characteristics at which OSHA-recordable injury or illness occur. This information is used by OSHA to help direct its programs and inform inspectors about where to focus their efforts during inspections to concentrate on the hazards that are hurting workers. Employers can also use this information to implement safety and health programs designed with worker participation at individual workplaces. Analysis of the data is a widely recognized method for discovering workplace safety and health problems and for tracking progress in solving those problems. The records also provide the base data for the Bureau of Labor Statistics Annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, the Nation's primary source of occupational injury and illness data.

   How Workers Play a Role

 Speak up about hazards. Your employer must keep your workplace free of known health and safety hazards.
      
 Participate in safety discussions and inform your employer of the hazards you anticipate, see or encounter. 
      
 Report an injury or illness, get copies of your medical records and encourage your coworkers to do the same.
      
 Review work-related injuries and illnesses records to identify where workplace hazards exist.
       
 Ensure you have received workplace safety and health training, which employers must provide in a language you understand.
      
 Know and use the appropriate safety equipment that is required for the work you are assigned to perform, such as gloves, hearing protection, or a harness and lifeline for falls.  In most cases, employers must provide personal protective equipment at no cost to workers.
