Safety Management: Medical and Exposure Records Access
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to provide a safe workplace for their employees. To ensure this, OSHA maintains several standards that describe employee rights for a hazard-free workplace. The Access to Medical and Exposure Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020) describes employees’ rights to access their medical records and information about exposure to toxic substances and harmful physical agents. This course describes employees’ right of access, what types of records they have access to, and record retention requirements for employers.
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Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Describe OSHA requirements for the Access to Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020)
- List and describe the types of records that must be maintained
- Describe employee rights to access medical and exposure records
- List record retention requirements
Specs
| Course Level | Intermediate |
| Languages | English |
| Compatibility | Audio, Video |
| Based on: | 29 CFR 1910.1020 |
Key Questions
Who has access to medical and exposure records?
Employers must provide access to all employees (both current and former), their designated representatives, and OSHA.
Who is a designated representative?
A designated representative is any individual or organization to whom an employee has given written authorization to exercise their right of access.
What are exposure records?
Exposure records contain information to quantify exposures to toxic substances or harmful physical agents.
What items are exempt from the standard?
Employers do not need to retain physical specimens (blood or urine samples) or health insurance claims if they are maintained separately from the medical program and not accessible by employee name or other personal identifiers.
How long are records required to be retained?
Generally, employee medical records must be kept for the duration of employment plus 30 years. Exposure records and any analyses that use medical or exposure records must be maintained for 30 years.
Sample Video Transcript
Employers must maintain records that document the amount of exposure to toxic substances or harmful physical agents, which basically includes any materials or conditions that can cause adverse health effects. For example: • Chemicals, such as acids, bases, solvents, and pesticides • Metals and dusts, such as lead, cadmium, and silica • Biological agents, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi • Physical hazards, such as noise, heat, cold, vibration, repetitive motion, and ionizing or non-ionizing radiation
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