• Preexisting injuries and illness may become recordable if the condition is significantly aggravated by events or conditions in the workplace.

A preexisting injury or illness may become recordable under Part 1904 if the condition has been significantly aggravated by events or conditions in the workplace. Significantly aggravated, for purposes of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) injury and illness recordkeeping, is when an event or exposure in the work environment results in any of the following:

• Death, provided that the preexisting injury or illness would likely not have resulted in death but for the occupational event or exposure.
• Loss of consciousness, provided that the preexisting injury or illness would likely not have resulted in loss of consciousness but for the occupational event or exposure.
• One or more days away from work, or days of restricted work, or days of job transfer that otherwise would not have occurred but for the occupational event or exposure.
• Medical treatment in a case where no medical treatment was needed for the injury or illness before the workplace event or exposure, or a change in medical treatment was necessitated by the workplace event or exposure.

An injury or illness is work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment significantly aggravated a preexisting condition. When the work-relatedness is not clear, evaluate the employee’s work duties and environment to decide whether or not one or more events or exposures at work either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a preexisting condition.

An injury or illness is a “preexisting condition” if it results solely from a non-work-related event or exposure that occurred outside the work environment. Preexisting conditions also include any injury or illness that the employee experienced while working for another employer.