Hello everyone, this is Dave at Mighty Line, and today we'll be talking about 

how to classify injuries and illnesses in your investigation programs, what they 

mean, and why it's so important that employers use these systems today.



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Data developed from these systems help us to better understand trends, causal 

factors, and develop means to prevent recurrence of injuries and illnesses. 

Federal safety and health agencies require the use of classification systems. For 

example, OSHA with their Forms 300, 300A and their Injury and Illness Report

301 require such classification. However, beyond that, workers compensation 

requirements from various states or provinces also require classifications 

involving all injuries and illnesses. 



Further, organizations have the opportunity to dive more deeply into incident 

investigation and look at root causes, conduct deeper analyses, and develop 

more comprehensive means to prevent recurrence. Incident investigation, 

analysis, and data collection to prevent recurrence should always be 

comprehensive. If the program only seeks to provide information for OSHA 

purposes and to collect data for reporting, it will not be sufficient to develop 

those safety solutions necessary, such as education and training, changes in 

management systems or machinery or equipment, or other paths forward to help

prevent future recurrence of any of these incidents. 



Workers' compensation systems are designed to provide wage and replacement 

benefits, and to deal with disability associated with work-related injuries or 

illnesses. The data that will be developed will not be as comprehensive as a 

system that enables deeper dives, risk assessment, risk analysis, and 

opportunities to prevent recurrence.



Be sure that your incident management process allows the opportunity to dive 

deeply so that you can learn the who, what, why, where, when, and how of all 

investigations, and go further with the deep dives necessary such as root cause 

analysis and systems management improvements.

Your investigation application should include type of injury or illness, nature of 

injury or illness, part of body involved, and the agency or equipment, 

machinery, substance or system associated with the incident. 



Finally, in order to enhance safety and health management systems and risk 

management programs at your operations, be sure to take a look at risk 

assessment processes, as those systems allow the opportunity to dive deeper into

risks and exposures that would otherwise be unidentified through the use of 

common injury and illness data tools.

Be sure to have a safe day, and I look forward to talking to you from Mighty 

Line again. Take care and Have a Mighty Day - Dave