New Jersey employers have a responsibility to take official note of the injuries suffered by their workers on the job. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides Form 300 to record workplace incidents. While some employers are conscientious about their obligations, others may try to avoid recording even serious workplace injuries. They may be concerned about their insurance rates, their reputation or even about attracting attention and inspections from workplace safety regulators. Not all injuries are recordable under OSHA regulations, so it can be important to understand which types of workplace accidents must be tracked.
Serious workplace injuries are required to be reported, including those that keep workers out of the job for some time, require their work to be restricted, or mandate a transfer to another job. If a worker loses consciousness or requires medical treatment beyond immediate first aid, this also must be reported on the OSHA form. Injuries can happen at almost any type of workplace, and many of them may be recordable, even if they accumulate over time rather than in one accident. For example, a worker in an office who developed a repetitive stress injury that required ongoing medical treatment would have an injury that may be equally recordable as a construction worker injured by a fall or malfunctioning equipment on the job.
If employers fail to record relevant injuries at work, they may be subject to fines and penalties. Of course, workers may also pay the price, because they may not be aware of the real dangers that they face on the job.
A workplace accident or injury can keep workers away from the job for a long period, leading to lost wages as well as costly medical bills. Injured workers may turn to a workers’ compensation lawyer to help them pursue the benefits they deserve.
