§350.300. Recording Criteria for Needlestick and Sharps Injuries

a)         Basic Requirement

Record all work-related needlestick injuries and cuts from sharp objects that are contaminated with another person's blood or other potentially infectious material (as defined by 29 CFR 1910.1030). Enter the case on the OSHA 300 Log as an injury. To protect the employee's privacy, do not enter the employee's name on the OSHA 300 Log (see the requirements for privacy cases in Section 350.340(b)(6) through (b)(9)).

 

b)         Implementation

 

1)         Other potentially infectious materials is defined in the Bloodborne Pathogens standard at 29 CFR1910.1030(b). These materials include:

 

A)        Human bodily fluids, tissues and organs; and

 

B)        Other materials infected with the HIV or hepatitis B virus, such as laboratory cultures or tissues from experimental animals.

 

2)         All cuts, lacerations, punctures and scratches need to be recorded only if they are work-related and involve contamination with another person's blood or other potentially infectious material. If the cut, laceration or scratch involves a clean object, or a contaminant other than blood or other potentially infectious material record the case only if it meets one or more of the recording criteria in Section 350.290.

 

3)         If an injury is recorded and the employee is later diagnosed with an infectious bloodborne disease, update the OSHA 300 Log. The classification of the case on the OSHA 300 Log must be updated if the case results in death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer. The description must also be updated to identify the infectious disease and change the classification of the case from an injury to an illness.

 

4)         If an employee is splashed with or exposed to blood or other potentially infectious material without being cut or scratched, record the incident on the OSHA 300 Log as an illness if:

 

A)        It results in the diagnosis of a bloodborne illness, such as HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C; or

 

B)        It meets one or more of the recording criteria in Section 350.290.