Flu is not recordable under 1904.5(b)(2) "Are there situations where an injury or illness occurs in the work environment and is not considered work-related? Yes, an injury or illness occurring in the work environment that falls under one of the following exceptions is not work-related, and therefore is not recordable. (viii) The illness is the common cold or flu." 

Check with your Comp Carrier on that issue. Chip
--
Lawrence H. "Chip" Dawson
Dawson Associates 
Rochester Business Alliance Coordinating Consultant for Health and Safety
6 Saddle Ridge Trail
Fairport, NY  14450-9584
(585) 425-1639
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On Oct 30, 2009, at 8:23:37 AM, "Scott Tritt" <<a href="/cgi-bin/wa?LOGON=A3%3Dind0910E%26L%3DSAFETY%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D74985%26B%3D--%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>> wrote:

From:   "Scott Tritt" <<a href="/cgi-bin/wa?LOGON=A3%3Dind0910E%26L%3DSAFETY%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D74985%26B%3D--%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>>
Subject:    [SAFETY] Flu Recordability?
Date:   October 30, 2009 8:23:37 AM EDT
To: <a href="/cgi-bin/wa?LOGON=A3%3Dind0910E%26L%3DSAFETY%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D74985%26B%3D--%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>
Reply-To:   SAFETY <<a href="/cgi-bin/wa?LOGON=A3%3Dind0910E%26L%3DSAFETY%26E%3Dquoted-printable%26P%3D74985%26B%3D--%26T%3Dtext%252Fplain%3B%2520charset%3Diso-8859-1" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>>

I was reading that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will soon issue a compliance directive to ensure uniform procedures when conducting inspections to identify and minimize or eliminate high to very high risk occupational exposures to the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus.
This brought to my mind the following question in a non-healthcare setting such as an office or manufacturing setting:

If I have an employee that comes down with the flu and must miss work and others in the work area also come down with the flu, does this make this work related and recordable? It could be argued that the other person(s) were exposed at work to the virus from contact with the other worker. They would most likely seek treatment beyond first aid care.
What if 3 or more require hospitalization as result of the exposure?

Now to add sauce to the goose, would the time away be compensable in a workers' compensation setting. In Ohio if you miss 8 or more days consecutive you are eligible for lost wage compensation.
Since the flu takes 3 to 7 days to run its course and provide a person recovery, how should this considered?

Just thought I would stimulate some discussion on this Friday morning.

Scott Tritt, Safety Administrator
Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
1319 Third Street NW
PO Box 349
New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663-0349
330-343-6647 Ext 2205
Fax 330-364-4161
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www.mwcd.org


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