KEEPING CREWS SAFE... WEEK AFTER WEEK

 KEEPING CREWS SAFE... WEEK AFTER WEEK

Reporting Injuries & Worse to OSHA

If a serious injury or fatality occurs on the job, do you know the OSHA reporting requirements or do you automatically assume you are exempt? Review the main points to remember now so you are prepared, and then keep the focus on safety so you never have to put this knowledge to use.

All employers are required to notify OSHA when an employee is killed on the job or suffers a work-related hospitalization, an amputation as a result of a work-place incident, or the loss of an eye on the job. 

A fatality must be reported within 8 hours.

Hospitalization, amputation and eye loss must be reported with 24 hours.

What companies are required to report?

OSHA standards and requirements, including this injury and fatality reporting requirement, apply to most private sector employers in the United States. If your company or organization is not a farm and is not a government sector or organization, then assume this reporting requirement applies. If you really aren’t sure and would like to find out, please call OSHA at 1-800-321-6742 to receive clarification.

What if my organization is not covered by federal OSHA or I know my state has an OSHA State Plan?

Many states operate their own occupational safety and health programs for private sector and/or state and local government workers. Reporting requirements may vary by state, although all states must have or be in the process of developing requirements that are at least as effective as OSHA's. Refer to your State Plan Reporting Requirements for clarification.

How is an injury or fatality reported?

There are three ways you can report a fatality or an injury that was described above.

Call the local OSHA office. Note: If the local area OSHA office is closed, then don’t wait for the office to open, use another method of reporting.

Call the OSHA 24-hour hotline at 1-800-321-6742.

Report online.

What information needs to be reported?

Be prepared to provide the business name, the name(s) of any employees affected, the date/time of the incident, a brief description of the incident including the location, and a contact name and phone number. When reporting the incident online you will be required to provide additional details about the incident so be prepared to get that information quickly so you can provide it to OSHA.

What if the fatality or injury occurred when the employee was driving or was using public transportation to get to or from work?

If there was a motor vehicle accident that occurred in a construction work zone, you must report if the accident resulted in a fatality, hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye. However, if the motor vehicle accident occurred on a public street or highway or the employee was on commercial or public transportation (like an airplane, train, subway or bus), you do not have to report. Note: if your company is required to maintain OSHA injury and illness records, the incident will still have to be recorded in those logs.

What if the employee was treated at an emergency room or urgent care clinic?

If there was a workplace injury that resulted in care provided at an emergency room or urgent care clinic ONLY, then that does NOT need to be reported if the employee was not admitted to the hospital.

Does cutting the tip of a finger off count as amputation?

Yes, fingertip amputations with or without bone loss do count as an amputation. An amputation is the traumatic loss of all or part of a limb or other external body part.

Who should do the reporting if the employee is a temporary worker?

The employer that provides the day-to-day supervision of the worker must report to OSHA.

What if the employee had a heart attack?

If an employee had a heart attack while on the job that resulted in death or hospitalization, then report the incident and the local OSHA Area Office will decide whether to investigate, depending on the circumstances of the heart attack.

What if there was a job-related incident that didn’t result in a fatality or reportable injury but then it did happen much later after the work incident?

If a fatality occurs within 30 days of a work-related incident, or if there is a hospitalization, amputation or eye loss within 24 hours of a work-related incident, then you must report the event to OSHA and describe the conditions. Note: if your company is required to maintain OSHA injury and illness records, the incident will still have to be recorded in those logs.

What if it’s still not clear after reading the requirements if the incident should be reported to OSHA or not?

If you aren’t sure about the circumstances of the incident or if it occurred on a public street or highway you may want to notify OSHA just in case. Failure to notify OSHA can add a hefty fine and cause add more complications to a difficult situation.

What if the employee was admitted to the hospital but only for observation?

Admission to the hospital does not need to be reported if the purpose is only for observation or diagnostic testing. Hospitalizations that involve care or treatment must be reported.

Will reporting an incident as required automatically result in an OSHA investigation at the job site?

Reporting fatalities and incidents as required will not automatically result in an OSHA site visit, however employees and management should be prepared and trained in how best to react if an OSHA compliance officer does visit the site to complete an investigation.

The details of these requirements can be found in OSHA Standard 1904.39 Reporting Fatality, Injury and Illness Information to the Government

Here is a top 10 list that will get you started, provide you with a solid foundation for your safety program, ensure everyone is involved, and keep you on track as your company grows.

If you have ever taken a look around OSHA’s website you know that things can get very confusing, very fast, especially if you are new to or overwhelmed by the world of safety. Business owners know that safety is important, and they know that they need to get their safety program in place (fast!) but knowing where to start, what’s most important, and what to focus on first can be daunting! Especially, when owners and managers have a million other things to worry about during the course of a workday.

If you find yourself in this position as an owner, safety professional, or manager, here is a top 10 list that will get you started and provide you with a solid foundation for your safety program. If you already have a safety and health program in place, review the list to make sure you have all your bases covered.

What you will notice right away is that these top 10 suggestions ensure that employees get involved and play a critical role in your safety & health program. The burden should not be on one person’s shoulders, get everyone involved!

Start here >

1.   Set Safety & Health as a Top Priority. Tell your workers that making sure they finish the day and go home safely is the way you do business. Assure them that you will work with them to find and fix any hazards that could injure them or make them sick.

2.   Lead by Example. Practice safe behaviors yourself and make safety part of your daily conversations with workers.

3.   Implement a Reporting System. Develop and communicate a simple procedure for workers to report any injuries, illnesses, incidents (including near misses/close calls), hazards, or safety and health concerns, without fear of retaliation. Include an option for reporting hazards or concerns anonymously – you might be surprised at what you learn.

4.   Provide Training. Train workers on how to identify and control hazards in the workplace. Use short-targeted safety training sessions as part of your training process. Tailgate meetings, toolbox talks, weekly or even monthly safety meetings that are short can be the perfect way to introduce reminders on proper safe work practices.

5.   Conduct Inspections. Inspect the workplace with workers and ask them to identify any activity, piece of equipment, or material that concerns them.

6.   Collect Hazard Control Ideas. Ask workers for ideas on improvements and follow up on their suggestions. Provide them time during work hours, if necessary, to research solutions. Idea: OSHA’s Hazard Identification Training Tool is an interactive, online, game-based training tool for small business owners, workers and others interested in learning the core concepts of hazard identification. After using this tool, users will better understand the process to identify hazards in their own workplace. Consider using this tool with a small group of 2-3 workers as part of a safety committee.

7.   Implement Hazard Controls. Assign workers the task of choosing, implementing, and evaluating the solutions they come up with.

8.   Address Emergencies. Identify foreseeable emergency scenarios and develop instructions on what to do in each case. Meet to discuss these procedures and post them in a visible location in the workplace.

9.   Seek Input on Workplace Changes. Before making significant changes to the workplace, work organization, equipment, or materials, consult with workers to identify potential safety or health issues.

10. Make Improvements. Set aside a regular time to discuss safety and health issues, with the goal of identifying ways to improve the program.

This top 10 list of recommended practices for Safety & Health programs is provided by OSHA. To learn more, visit the OSHA website at osha.gov and get access to resources to help you get started and stay on track with your safety program.

Adding regular safety meetings to your company’s safety and health program is a great way to get employees on board with the safety culture, promote involvement in the safety program and boost team morale. Holding regular safety meetings with your crews, teams and staff is also the best way to ensure that your company is off to a great start meeting and exceeding OSHA’s compliance standards.

Thank you,

V/r

David Juggernaut Thomas