OSHA Rules for Injury Reporting Change

Starting January 1, 2015, OSHA rules will require companies nation-wide to report all work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations and eye losses within 24 hours.  Oregon is one of 6 states that already require employers to report single in-patient hospitalizations.  Previously, employers in most other states were only required to report in-patient hospitalizations if three or more employees were affected, so even amputations or eye losses did not have to be reported.  OSHA rules in all states continue to require that employers report work-related fatalities within 8 hours.  The new rule also contains an option for electronic reporting.  OSHA estimates that each report will take about 30 minutes.  Some industries with relatively low injury and illness rates are exempt from federal OSHA reporting requirements, as are employers with 10 or fewer employees.  Details can be found at 79 FR 56129 (Sept. 18, 2014).