Ask the Experts: What to Report to OSHA

Q: What events must employers report to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)?

A: All employers are required to notify OSHA when an employee is killed on the job or suffers a work-related hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye as follows:

• Employers must report work-related fatalities within eight hours of finding out about the fatality.
• For any inpatient hospitalization, amputation, or eye loss, employers must report the incident within 24 hours of learning about the incident.

Only fatalities occurring within 30 days of the work-related incident must be reported to OSHA. Further, for an inpatient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye, incidents must be reported to OSHA only if they occur within 24 hours of the work-related incident.

Importantly, starting in 2017, many employers are required to electronically submit their summary of injuries and illnesses to OSHA. Read more on the following websites about required electronic reporting:

However, employers do not have to report an event if it:

• Resulted from a motor vehicle accident on a public street or highway (except in a construction work zone).
• Occurred on a commercial or public transportation system such as an airplane or bus.
• Involved hospitalization for diagnostic testing or observation only.

Reporting requirements may be more stringent in states with OSHA-approved state plans, so check your state’s reporting rules in addition to the federal OSHA regulations to avoid state citations and penalties.

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