Is It Recordable?
Scenario Q2

Injured in Parking Ramp: is it recordable?

Verdict: It depends
Published 2020-08-09

Question

An employee gets out of her vehicle after driving to work at the start of the work day. She parks in a parking garage that is co-owned by her employer and another company. On her way down one of the parking garage’s staircases, she falls and breaks her arm and ultimately receives medical treatment. Is it recordable?

Answer

MAYBE. One of the exceptions to work-relatedness is the commute. OSHA has a very clear delineation of when the commute ends and that is when the employee steps foot onto the work establishment. Therefore, if the parking garage is maintained by the company, it would be recordable. If the parking garage is not maintained by the company, then the employee had not yet ended her commute and the incident is not recordable.
1904.5(b)(2)(vii), April 15, 2015 Letter of Interpretation

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.5

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2015-04-13

http://ehsmomentum.com

Illustration for the scenario: Injured in Parking Ramp
Have a different situation? Ask RedBeard your recordkeeping question or search all 232 scenarios.

Related scenarios

Q220

Out of Town Meeting

An employee traveled out of town to attend a 2-hour meeting at the direction of his supervisor. The employee arrived the evening before…

Not recordable
Q218

Tool Thief

After clocking out for the day, the employee is walking to their vehicle in the employer-maintained lot. A heavy tool they tucked into…

Recordable
Q209

Bird Bomb

While hauling a bag of trash out to the dumpster an employee was struck in the eye by a Magpie and suffered a corneal abrasion. A doctor…

Recordable

This is guidance based on 29 CFR Part 1904 and OSHA letters of interpretation. Facts and details may be altered or fictional. As specified by OSHA, the employer is responsible for the final recordability determination.