A new law requires companies to report employee injuries to federal safety inspectors more quickly. But now a new tool unveiled by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration makes filing an official report as simple as clicking a few buttons on its website.
OSHA recently unveiled its new employee injury and accident reporting website, which helps employers meet new rules requiring them to report any fatal accident to the agency within eight hours and accident involving a serious injury with 24 hours.
Reporting Workplace Accidents
The new law, which took effect last January, defines a serious accident as one that resulted in an amputation, the loss of an eye, or required the hospitalization of the injured worker. Since the new law took effect, OSHA has received more than 12,000 reports from employers, according to the agency’s website.
OSHA official hope that because the new website makes it easier than ever for companies to report serious accidents, there will be better reporting and tracking. Employers are also still allowed to contact their local OSHA office by telephone to file an official accident report.
Phone Calls Still OK
Employers are also still allowed to contact their local OSHA office by telephone or the 24-hour OSHA hotline at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) to file an official accident report.
The website asks employers to provide basic information about the accident, including:
- The company’s name, address and phone number
- Where the accident occurred
- The time of the accident
- The type of reportable event, such as whether it was a fatal accident, an amputation, the loss of an eye, or a worker hospitalization
- The names of the employees injured
- A contact person and phone number
- A brief description of what happened.
‘Don’t Report When …’
Companies are not required to report a serious injury accident if it occurred on a public street or highway, but they are required to report accidents that occur on construction sites.
They also don’t have to report hospitalizations that were for diagnostic testing or observation only. They only need to report an injury if the employee is admitted to the hospital for treatment of the injuries related t the accident.
A business must report a hospitalization if it was for an employee’s heart attack if the cardiac event resulted from the work-related accident.
Potential Penalties
Failure to comply with the new regulations could result in criminal prosecution and/or civil charges against the company, which may result in fines and other penalties.
OSHA officials said the new website should make it easier for the agency to compile and distribute more accurate data and analysis regarding workplace accidents in the future.