Did employer try to put good spin on injury reports?
Listed here are some examples of injuries and illnesses not properly recorded at Avondale Industries in New Orleans, according to a compliance officers with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Washington, DC.
- An employee working on a press suffered a torn rotator cuff, which required surgery. The employee’s restricted work activity was undercounted by 152 days, and the injury was inaccurately described.
- An employee tripped over some wires, tearing a ligament in one knee. Surgery was performed to repair the ligament, and the physician required work restrictions. The injury was recorded in the log with no days away from work. The incident should have been recorded with 143 days away from work. The severity of the injury also was recorded inaccurately.
- An employee suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome and had about 20 days away from work, but the illness was not recorded on the log.
- A pipe fitter was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, which could have been contributed to or aggravated by work and should have been recorded as an illness with at least 60 lost work days, but was not.
- An employee suffered a lower back injury and had 38 days away from work and 10 days restricted work activity. The injury was recorded as no lost time.
- An employee cut a finger while tightening a band. Treatment included sutures, prescription medication, and whirlpool. The injury, its associated 14 days away from work, and at least 10 restricted work activity days were removed from the log, making it the same as not recorded.
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