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OSHA's definition of "work-relatedness" at 1904.5 where events or exposures in the workplace caused or contributed to the injury or illness. Basically, if an injury occurred while the employee was in the workplace, the injury will be work-related unless one of the specific exceptions listed in 1904.5(b)(2) applies. OSHA has stated in a few places that a situation where an employee acts out of frustration and hurts him or herself is work-related and does not qualify for an exception because the employee had not intended to hurt him or herself. See this FAQ: FAQ ID: 277 Q: Any employee reported an injury - a broken hand. The employee had punched a wall at work out of frustration. Does this case meet the definition of work related and therefore must be recorded on the OSHA LOG? A: This case is work related and recordable. There is no exception to work-relatedness for acts of violence or horseplay. There is an exception to work relatedness for injuries that are intentionally self inflicted, however it must be shown that the employee intended to hurt his hand when he lost his temper.
OSHA letter of interpretation dated March 31, 2009: Scenario: After receiving the announcement his workplace was scheduled to be downsized, an employee became upset and punched a cabinet with his right hand. The employee received first aid (because his hand was bleeding) and then was accompanied to the hospital. There they discovered that he had broken the 5th metacarpus. They gave him the appropriate care and he now has a plaster cast on his hand. Response: Section 1904.5(a) provides that an injury or illness must be considered work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the injury or illness or significantly aggravated a pre-existing injury or illness. Section 1904.5(b)(1) defines the work environment as the establishment and other locations where one or more employees are working or are present as a condition of their employment. Work relatedness is presumed under Part 1904 for injuries and illnesses resulting from events or exposures occurring in the work environment, unless an exception in Section 1904.5(b)(2) specifically applies. 1904.5(b)(2)(vi) states that, intentionally self-inflicted injuries are not considered work-related.
However, we assume that when the employee punched the cabinet, he reacted without thought of injuring himself. Therefore, the injury was not intentionally self-inflicted and does not meet the criteria of the exception and is considered work-related. The nature of the activity which the employee is engaged in at the time of the event or exposure, the degree of employer control over the employee's activity, the preventability of the incident or the concept of fault do not affect the determination of work relationship. Furthermore, OSHA's geographic presumption encompasses cases in which an injury or illness results from an event at work that is outside the employer's control and covers cases in which an injury or illness results from activities that occur at work but that are not directly productive such as horseplay or workplace violence.