OSHA Reminder: New Fatality and Injury Reporting Requirements Posted on April 7, 2015June 23, 2021 by Kyle Schmidt The U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration takes worker injuries and deaths seriously, which is why in 2014 it improved the recording keeping rule to hold employers accountable for worker safety. Many occupations in the U.S. such as construction, farming, transportation and health care are plagued by worker injuries and deaths, all of which are preventable with the proper training, equipment and other safety precautions. Under regulation 29 CFR 1904, employers are required to keep records of occupational injuries and illnesses. The previous recordkeeping rule only required employers to inform OSHA about work-related hospitalizations of at least three employees or any work-related fatality. Under this rule, many dangers that only affected one worker at a time went unnoticed by OSHA, and therefore continued longer than they should have. OSHA also lacked accurate figures to discover individual employers who were neglecting worker safety and which industries needed stricter regulations and more inspections. Understanding the need for more true-to-life data regarding worker safety in the U.S., the recordkeeping rule was revised and went into effect Jan. 1. The New Rule Employers are now required to tell OSHA about all work-related fatalities, inpatient hospitalizations, amputations and losses of an eye. For fatalities, the employer must report to OSHA within 8 hours of finding out about them, but only if the fatality occurred within 30 days of the work-related incident. For hospitalizations, amputations and loss of an eye, employers have 24 hours from the time they learn of the issue to report it to OSHA, but they only have to report these issues if it occurs within 24 hours of a work-related incident. For example, an amputation that occurs days or weeks after an accident doesn’t have to be reported. Additionally, hospitalizations that are for diagnostic testing or observation only do not apply – the hospitalization must be for treatment and care. RELATED: 6 Tips to Avoid OSHA Penalties in Your Facility “OSHA will now receive crucial reports of fatalities and severe work-related injuries and illnesses that will significantly enhance the agency’s ability to target our resources to save lives and prevent further injury and illness,” said Dr. David Michaels, the assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, in an update. “This new data will enable the agency to identify the workplaces where workers are at the greatest risk and target our compliance assistance and enforcement resources accordingly.” What Employers Need When Reporting Businesses can report to OSHA via telephone or online, but the process will go faster if they have the necessary information ready. For any death, hospitalization, amputation or eye loss, OSHA requires: Number of employees affected by the incident Names of employees affected by the incident Type of event, whether a fatality or injury The time and location of the incident A description of the incident The name of the employer A name and phone number for a contact at the employer The stricter regulation imposes more work on employers, but is necessary to provide OSHA with information regarding the true environment of worker safety in the U.S.
