As a business, you may think that the need to report a work related injury, illness or death is only necessary for Workers Compensation. The truth is that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is also on the ‘need to know’ list when it comes to certain reporting.  According to the National Law Review "OSHA Electronic Recordkeeping Rule Creates Significant Reporting Requirements, Potential Enforcement Risks"

In the past, companies that employed fewer than 10 or those that are low risk such as an insurance office, were typically exempt from ongoing recordkeeping when it comes to on the job injury or illness. However, with the 2015 changes in policy, ALL businesses, regardless of size, need to report any work related hospitalizations, amputations or loss of eye to OSHA within 24 hours of the employer learning of the incident. If a death occurs on the job, this is to be reported to OSHA within 8 hours.

For questionable incidents, take this example into consideration: If employee ‘A’ was fatally injured while driving to work, this would not be reportable. If employee ‘A’ was fatally injured while driving for work, this would be reportable.   Reports may be made to the nearest OSHA representative or Federal office. There is also an online form available at OSHA.Gov.

There are many opportunities available to prevent on the job injuries, but there is always a possibility that something will go wrong. Understanding OSHA standards for your industry along with the implementation of a training and safety program is fundamental to the functionality of your business. Planning for new recordkeeping rules is also a critical step in your safety planning. 

A list of reportable incident examples is available online at: www.osha.gov. For more information on the difference between reporting for Workers Compensation and reporting for OSHA, or if you are interested in reviewing your Risk Management program,  please call Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc., 1-800-289-1501 or ‘click to chat’ at www.haylor.com.