Orami01/Test3 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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work environment.
Scenario 7:
An employee knits a sweater for her daughter during a lunch break. She lacerates her hand and
needs sutures. She is engaged in a personal task. Are lunch breaks or other breaks considered
“assigned working hours?” Is the case reportable?
Response 7:
This case must be reported because it does not meet the exception to work-relatedness for
injuries that occur in the work environment but are solely due to personal tasks. For the
“personal tasks” exception to apply, the injury or illness must: 1) be solely the result of the
employee doing personal tasks (unrelated to their employment) and 2) occur outside of the
employee’s assigned working hours. The exception does not apply to injuries and illnesses that
occur during breaks in the normal work schedule. Here, the exception does not apply because
the injury occurred during the employee’s lunch break.
Scenario 8:
Does an employee become a part of the general public once they have timed out? Or, are they
considered part of the workforce from the time they get out of their car coming in to work to the
time they step into their car to go home at the end of their work day?
FRA Guide for Preparing Accident/Incident Reports
58
F 6180.55a
Response 8:
For purposes of FRA recordkeeping, injuries, and illnesses occurring in the work environment
are considered work-related. Punching in and out with a time clock (or signing in and out) does
not affect the outcome for determining work-relatedness. If the employee experienced a workrelated injury or illness that meets the requirement for recording on a Form FRA F 6180.98
record, then the paperwork must be retained on file. If it satisfies one or more of the general
reporting criteria, it must be reported on Form FRA F 6180.55a. The only distinction is whether
to report it as a Railroad Employee On Duty (Class A) or Railroad Employee Not On Duty
(Class B). Employees are considered members of the general public when they are present in the
work environment for reasons solely unconnected with their employment or without their
employer’s permission. Again, an employee does not become a member of the general public
solely by being present in the work environment outside of assigned work hours. For example,
an employee of a passenger railroad maybe considered a member of the general public in the
work environment when they are a passenger on the train for personal reason unconnected to
work (i.e., personal vacation).
Scenario 9:
An employee times out and chooses to linger in the plant. Then, she goes to her locker to lock up
her personal items, and falls. Is the injury work-related?
Response 9:
Since the resultant injury occurred in the work environment, it is work-related, unless a specific
exception applies. There are not enough factual details provided in the scenario for FRA to fully
evaluate whether an exception under § 225.15 applies in the circumstances described. However,
if employees normally keep personal items in a locker at the plant, FRA would not consider the
employee’s actions in going to her locker before leaving the plant to be a personal task, unrelated
to employment, for purposes of the exception.
6.6.2 Questions and Answers on Employees—Determination of Work-Relatedness
Q3. Are there situations in which an injury or illness occurs to an employee while
in the work environment, but would not be reported as an injury to, or
illness of, an employee on duty?
A3. Yes. An injury or illness occurring in the work environment that falls under one
of the reporting exceptions set forth at § 225.15(b) would not be reported as one
to an employee on duty. These situations must be evaluated to determine if the
employee’s condition is reportable using the criteria for individuals who are not
employees on duty, e.g., employee not on duty, nontrespasser.
FRA Guide for Preparing Accident/Incident Reports
59
F 6180.55a
Q4. What activities are considered “personal grooming” for purposes of the
exception to the geographic presumption of work-relatedness for employees
on duty?
A4. Personal grooming activities are activities directly related to personal hygiene,
such as combing and drying hair, brushing teeth, clipping fingernails, and the like.
Bathing or showering at the workplace, when necessary, because of an exposure
to a substance at work, is not within the personal grooming exception. Thus, if an
employee slips and falls while showering at work to remove a contaminant to
which he has been exposed at work, and sustains an injury that meets one of the
general reporting criteria, the case is reportable.
Q5. What are “personal tasks” for purposes of the reporting exception under
§ 225.15?
A5. “Personal tasks” are tasks that are unrelated to the employee’s job. For example,
if an employee uses a company break to perform work on his or her personal
automobile that is not part of his or her job duties, he or she is engaged in a
personal task. However, this example would still be reportable as the employee is
performing a personal task during a lunch break, which is within assigned work
hours. Note that a case is reportable unless it meets both prongs of the exception
under § 225.15: the case must involve first, personal tasks at the establishment;
and second, must have occurred outside of the employee’s assigned working
hours. See Q7 and A7, below.
Q6. If an employee stays at work after normal work hours to prepare for the next
day’s tasks and is injured, is the worker considered to be an employee on
duty? For example, if an employee stays after work to prepare equipment
and is injured, is the case work-related?
A6. Yes. This individual’s injury is considered to be work-related. A case is workrelated any time an event or exposure in the work environment either causes or
contributes to an injury or illness, or significantly aggravates a preexisting injury
or illness, unless one of the specific exceptions in this section applies. The work
environment includes the establishment and other locations where one or more
employees are working or are present as a condition of their employment. The
case in question would be work-related if the employee was injured as a result of
an event or exposure at work, regardless of whether the injury occurred after
normal work hours and regardless of whether the employee was in pay status.
FRA Guide for Preparing Accident/Incident Reports
60
F 6180.55a
Q7. An employee was injured in the workplace while performing a personal task
(unrelated to their employment) outside of the employee’s assigned working
hours; is the injury reportable?
A7. In order to correctly apply the reporting exception, the case must meet both of the
following conditions. The case must involve first, personal tasks at the
establishment; and second, must have occurred outside of the employee’s
assigned working hours. In this case, the conditions are met. Thus, this case
would not be reportable as an injury to a Railroad Employee On Duty (Class A).

work environment.

Scenario 7:

An employee knits a sweater for her daughter during a lunch break. She lacerates her hand and

needs sutures. She is engaged in a personal task. Are lunch breaks or other breaks considered

“assigned working hours?” Is the case reportable?

Response 7:

This case must be reported because it does not meet the exception to work-relatedness for

injuries that occur in the work environment but are solely due to personal tasks. For the

“personal tasks” exception to apply, the injury or illness must: 1) be solely the result of the

employee doing personal tasks (unrelated to their employment) and 2) occur outside of the

employee’s assigned working hours. The exception does not apply to injuries and illnesses that

occur during breaks in the normal work schedule. Here, the exception does not apply because

the injury occurred during the employee’s lunch break.

Scenario 8:

Does an employee become a part of the general public once they have timed out? Or, are they

considered part of the workforce from the time they get out of their car coming in to work to the

time they step into their car to go home at the end of their work day?

FRA Guide for Preparing Accident/Incident Reports

58

F 6180.55a

Response 8:

For purposes of FRA recordkeeping, injuries, and illnesses occurring in the work environment

are considered work-related. Punching in and out with a time clock (or signing in and out) does

not affect the outcome for determining work-relatedness. If the employee experienced a workrelated injury or illness that meets the requirement for recording on a Form FRA F 6180.98

record, then the paperwork must be retained on file. If it satisfies one or more of the general

reporting criteria, it must be reported on Form FRA F 6180.55a. The only distinction is whether

to report it as a Railroad Employee On Duty (Class A) or Railroad Employee Not On Duty

(Class B). Employees are considered members of the general public when they are present in the

work environment for reasons solely unconnected with their employment or without their

employer’s permission. Again, an employee does not become a member of the general public

solely by being present in the work environment outside of assigned work hours. For example,

an employee of a passenger railroad maybe considered a member of the general public in the

work environment when they are a passenger on the train for personal reason unconnected to

work (i.e., personal vacation).

Scenario 9:

An employee times out and chooses to linger in the plant. Then, she goes to her locker to lock up

her personal items, and falls. Is the injury work-related?

Response 9:

Since the resultant injury occurred in the work environment, it is work-related, unless a specific

exception applies. There are not enough factual details provided in the scenario for FRA to fully

evaluate whether an exception under § 225.15 applies in the circumstances described. However,

if employees normally keep personal items in a locker at the plant, FRA would not consider the

employee’s actions in going to her locker before leaving the plant to be a personal task, unrelated

to employment, for purposes of the exception.

6.6.2 Questions and Answers on Employees—Determination of Work-Relatedness

Q3. Are there situations in which an injury or illness occurs to an employee while

in the work environment, but would not be reported as an injury to, or

illness of, an employee on duty?

A3. Yes. An injury or illness occurring in the work environment that falls under one

of the reporting exceptions set forth at § 225.15(b) would not be reported as one

to an employee on duty. These situations must be evaluated to determine if the

employee’s condition is reportable using the criteria for individuals who are not

employees on duty, e.g., employee not on duty, nontrespasser.

FRA Guide for Preparing Accident/Incident Reports

59

F 6180.55a

Q4. What activities are considered “personal grooming” for purposes of the

exception to the geographic presumption of work-relatedness for employees

on duty?

A4. Personal grooming activities are activities directly related to personal hygiene,

such as combing and drying hair, brushing teeth, clipping fingernails, and the like.

Bathing or showering at the workplace, when necessary, because of an exposure

to a substance at work, is not within the personal grooming exception. Thus, if an

employee slips and falls while showering at work to remove a contaminant to

which he has been exposed at work, and sustains an injury that meets one of the

general reporting criteria, the case is reportable.

Q5. What are “personal tasks” for purposes of the reporting exception under

§ 225.15?

A5. “Personal tasks” are tasks that are unrelated to the employee’s job. For example,

if an employee uses a company break to perform work on his or her personal

automobile that is not part of his or her job duties, he or she is engaged in a

personal task. However, this example would still be reportable as the employee is

performing a personal task during a lunch break, which is within assigned work

hours. Note that a case is reportable unless it meets both prongs of the exception

under § 225.15: the case must involve first, personal tasks at the establishment;

and second, must have occurred outside of the employee’s assigned working

hours. See Q7 and A7, below.

Q6. If an employee stays at work after normal work hours to prepare for the next

day’s tasks and is injured, is the worker considered to be an employee on

duty? For example, if an employee stays after work to prepare equipment

and is injured, is the case work-related?

A6. Yes. This individual’s injury is considered to be work-related. A case is workrelated any time an event or exposure in the work environment either causes or

contributes to an injury or illness, or significantly aggravates a preexisting injury

or illness, unless one of the specific exceptions in this section applies. The work

environment includes the establishment and other locations where one or more

employees are working or are present as a condition of their employment. The

case in question would be work-related if the employee was injured as a result of

an event or exposure at work, regardless of whether the injury occurred after

normal work hours and regardless of whether the employee was in pay status.

FRA Guide for Preparing Accident/Incident Reports

60

F 6180.55a

Q7. An employee was injured in the workplace while performing a personal task

(unrelated to their employment) outside of the employee’s assigned working

hours; is the injury reportable?

A7. In order to correctly apply the reporting exception, the case must meet both of the

following conditions. The case must involve first, personal tasks at the

establishment; and second, must have occurred outside of the employee’s

assigned working hours. In this case, the conditions are met. Thus, this case

would not be reportable as an injury to a Railroad Employee On Duty (Class A).