Employers can now report fatalities and other serious workplace incidents to OSHA via an online form.
OSHA rules require employers to report to the agency, within eight hours of the incident, any time a worker is killed on the job. Serious injuries must be reported within 24 hours including amputations, loss of an eye, or an incident where an employee is hospitalized (in-patient vs a visit to the emergency room.) The online reporting form was added to the agency’s “Report a Fatality or Severe Injury” page in December. Employers may also report incidents by contacting their local OSHA office or calling OSHA’s 24-hour hotline at 800-321-6742.
The form is available at www.osha.gov/pls/ser/serform.html