While sustaining a workplace injury may expose the employer to an OSHA citation, failing to immediately report certain accident events may constitute a violation of government safety regulations as well. All fatalities must be phoned into OSHA or to a state OSHA program within 8 hours of a death occurrence. In-patient hospitalization of 3 or more employees resulting from a single accident event must be reported to OSHA. Any amputation or eye loss must be reported within 24 hours of the accident.
Federal OSHA is requiring all state OSHA enforcement programs to implement these OSHA reporting requirements. Nebraska and South Dakota are already federal enforcement programs. Iowa upgraded its regulations in this regard effective January 14, 2015. Minnesota’s updated regulations for self-reporting are expected to take effect by October 1, 2015.
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