Remember, New OSHA Reporting Requirements Go Into Effect January 1, 2015

As a reminder, OSHA’s final rule expanding employer notification requirements when a worker is killed on the job, or suffers a work related hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye goes into effect for employers in states covered by federal OSHA on January 1, 2015.  OSHA contends that this expanded data will assist its task of targeting compliance assistance.  There are two key changes in the new rule: first, the list of industries that are exempt from routinely keeping OSHA injury and illness records has been updated and second, the reporting requirements themselves have been amended.  Currently, employers in states covered by federal OSHA are required to report all work-related fatalities and hospitalizations of three or more employees within eight hours of the event.  The new rule retains the requirement to notify OSHA of all work related fatalities within eight hours and adds a new requirement for employers to report all work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye within 24 hours of the event.  Employers can report these events by telephone or in person to the OSHA Area Office that is nearest to the site of the incident, by calling OSHA’s toll-free number, 1-800-321-OSHA (1-800-321-6742), or through OSHA’s website.