Injuries treated with kinesiology tape are recordable, according to OSHA letter

Washington – An injury requiring kinesiology tape for treatment must be recorded on employers’ injury and illness logs, according to a recent OSHA letter of interpretation.

Kinesiology tape is designed to relieve pain from acute injuries, such as musculoskeletal injuries, through physical and neurological mechanisms.

After consulting with physicians in OSHA’s Office of Occupational Medicine, the agency determined the use of kinesiology tape goes beyond first aid and is akin to physical therapy; therefore, injuries requiring the tape are recordable, Acting Director of OSHA’s Directorate of Evaluation and Analysis Francis Yebesi said in the Dec. 12 letter.