Generally, employers will rely on the health care professional’s diagnosis. If the diagnosis is avulsion, the event does not need to be reported. If the diagnosis is amputation, the event must be reported. If there is no available diagnosis by a health care professional, the employer should rely on the definition and examples of amputation included in the regulatory text of 29 CFR 1904.39(b)(11). Examples of avulsion that do not need to be reported include:
- Deglovings
- Scalpings
- Fingernail and toenail removal
- Eyelid removal
- Loss of a tooth
- Severed ears
A general rule is that if the flesh is expected to grow back, it’s not an amputation.