The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released an interpretation letter July 6 which states that the use of kinesiology tape to treat a work-related injury no longer needs to be recorded as medical treatment.

In the July 6 letter, OSHA concluded that “the use of kinesiology tape and other types of elastic taping is included within the definition of first aid treatment, and thus the use of such tape alone would not be considered medical treatment.”

The letter reverses their 2014 interpretation which stated that the use of kinesiology tape is considered medical treatment for OSHA recordkeeping purposes and is, therefore, recordable when used to treat a work-related injury.