Heat illness cases will have to be recorded if they meet OSHA’s recording criteria. To be recordable, the condition must involve medical treatment beyond first aid. The list of first aid treatments in 1904.7 at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.7 includes, “1904.7(b)(5)(ii)(N) Drinking fluids for relief of heat stress.”
As an example, if an employee showed heat stress symptoms and needed a break to cool down and drink fluids, this should not be a “recordable” on the 300 Log. However, if the employee went to the hospital for IV fluid replacement, that would be recordable as medical treatment.
A case of heat stress will also become recordable if the employee needs restrictions or days away from work.
There is no specific column for heat stress, but employers would mark recordable cases using the “all other illnesses” column. The PDF packet of the 300 Logs on OSHA’s site at https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/OSHA-RK-Forms-Package.pdf offers this guidance, with the first few examples being heatstroke, sunstroke, heat exhaustion, heat stress and other effects of environmental heat; freezing, frostbite, and other effects of exposure to low temperatures.
Generally, an “injury” results from a specific event like a cut or fracture, while an “illness” develops over time, even if only for a few hours (like heat stress). An important note is that a loss of consciousness also creates a recordable case, no matter how brief. So, if someone passed out from heat stress (even for a few seconds), the case would be recordable.
