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Anthrax Powder

Anthrax Powder

Question: Mail room employees are sorting boxes in a mail room. One employee tosses a box to the other and the box breaks causing a white powder spread throughout the air and on the faces of the employees. The employees are taken to the ER and treated with antibiotics. Is it recordable?

Answer: YES. OSHA does not provide an exclusion for injuries resulting from terrorist attacks or other violence-related injury or illnesses cases.

OSHA Directives Question 5-13: If an employee dies or is injured or infected as a result of terrorist attacks, should it be recorded on the OSHA Injury and Illness Log? Should it be reported to OSHA? Yes, injuries and illnesses that result from a terrorist event or exposure in the work environment are considered work-related for OSHA recordkeeping purposes. OSHA does not provide an exclusion for violence-related injury and illness cases, including injuries and illnesses resulting from terrorist attacks.

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