FirstStep Employment Law Advisor

Non-recordable Injury and Illness Incidents

Employers do not have to record:

• Visits to a doctor or health care professional solely for observation and counseling.
• Diagnostic procedures, including administering prescription medications that are used solely for diagnostic purposes; and any procedure that can be labeled first aid.
• If an incident required only the following types of treatment, they are considered first aid and there are no employer recording requirements.
• Using non-prescription medications at non-prescription strength.
• Administering tetanus immunizations.
• Cleaning, flushing or soaking wounds on the skin surface.
• Using wound coverings, such as bandages, BandAids™, gauze pads, etc, or using SteriStrips™ or butterfly bandages.
• Using hot or cold therapy.
• Using any totally non-rigid means of support, such as elastic bandages, wraps, non-rigid back belts, etc.
• Using temporary immobilization devices while transporting an accident victim (splints, slings, neck collars, or back boards).
• Drilling a fingernail or toenail to relieve pressure, or draining fluid from blisters.
• Using eye patches.
• Using simple irrigation or a cotton swab to remove foreign bodies not embedded in or adhered to the eye.
• Using irrigation, tweezers, cotton swab or other simple means to remove splinters or foreign material from areas other than the eye.
• Using finger guards.
• Using massages.
• Drinking fluids to relieve heat stress.