HIPAA Blog

[ Friday, August 27, 2004 ]

 

Don't know much about OSHA . . . : But I know HIPAA when I see it. The AFL-CIO sent a letter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration seeking guidance on an intersection of HIPAA and OSHA. OSHA requires employers to file injury and illness reports, apparently known as the OSHA 300 log, listing names of employees and the injuries and illnesses they suffer, I suspect from on-the-job accidents and conditions. This list has to be available to employers, former employers, and employee representatives (which I suppose is how the AFL-CIO came in). Some employers apparently were taking off the names of the employees, due to HIPAA concerns. OSHA said they have to keep names on the logs, since it's "required by law." I'm no expert on OSHA, but there is apparently an exception to putting or keeping the names on the logs if there are "privacy concern cases." I'm not sure what that means, but I'd guess it doesn't include a blanket HIPAA prohibition to disclosing any and all names.

Jeff [9:18 AM]

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