We had a case come in that I thought was interesting. What happened was Company X hired a temp from Company Y, and the temp got hurt working for Company X. The temp got a tetanus shot and the remainder of the day off. The questions were 1) whether or not it is recordable and 2) who should record it.

1. In response to whether or not it is recordable, it is not a lost time accident because he did not miss any additional days of work. The day that treatment is given is never counted in lost time. As long as the person is back to work the next day, it is not lost time. In terms of the tetanus shot, this is one of the few exceptions to the “injections make it recordable” rule. As long as he/she did not receive any prescriptions or any other care beyond first aid, it remains first aid only despite the tetanus shot. The tetanus shot is considered to be preventative, not a treatment.
2. In response to who is responsible for the injury, if the injury had been recordable, Company X would have been responsible for recording it. Even though the temp was employed by Company Y, he/she was under the control of Company X. In most cases subcontractors will answer to the subcontracting company, but temps are considered under the control of the hiring company because they answer directly to the hiring company. This is what makes the injury the responsibility of the hiring company.

If you have further questions about recordable, reportable, and first aid only incidents, or about the 300, 300a, and 301 forms please review the information here, or feel free to contact us at CS Consulting with your questions and we will be happy to get you squared away.

*Unless specific citations are shown, all answers are based on interpretations provided by authorized officials. As such, all information is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.