The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a final rule Sept. 11, 2014, revising the requirements for reporting work-related fatality, injury and illness information. The rule also updates the list of employers partially exempt from OSHA record-keeping requirements.
The current regulation requires employers to report all work-related fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations of three or more employees within eight hours of the event.
The new rule retains the requirement to report all fatalities to OSHA within eight hours but amends the regulation to require employers to report all work-related in-patient hospitalizations, as well as amputations and losses of an eye, to OSHA within 24 hours.
The reporting regulations affect all employers covered by OSHA, even those who are partially exempt from maintaining injury and illness records.
The changes go into effect Jan. 1, 2015, for workplaces under federal OSHA jurisdiction. Employers located in states that operate their own safety and health programs should check with their state plan for the implementation date of the new requirements.