An important change to OSHA recordkeeping rules has just been announced by OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Beginning next year, employers will be required to report all in-patient hospitalizations and amputations to OSHA, under a final rule released September 11th.
Currently, employers must report to OSHA within eight hours any work-related fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations of three or more employees. The new rule retains the reporting of fatalities, but adds requirements for employers to report to OSHA within 24 hours all in-patient hospitalizations, amputations and loss of an eye.
According to OSHA, this rule would go into effect January 1.
Employers have three options for reporting the event:
• By telephone to the nearest OSHA Area Office during normal business hours.
• By telephone to the 24-hour OSHA hotline at 1‑800-321-OSHA (6742).
• OSHA is developing a new means of reporting events electronically, which will be available soon at www.osha.gov.
All employers covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, even those who are exempt from maintaining injury and illness records, are required to comply with OSHA’s new severe injury and illness reporting requirements. For more information, see the news release, Assistant Secretary Michaels’ statement, and OSHA’s new Web page on the revised rule.