OSHA Reports on First Year Results of ‘Severe Injury Reporting Program’

Since Jan. 1, 2015, employers have been required by the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) to report any severe work-related injury – defined as a hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye – within 24 hours. (The requirement to report a fatality within 8 hours was unchanged.)

OSHA reports: “During the first full year of a new reporting requirement, employers reported 10,388 severe injuries, including 7,636 hospitalizations and 2,644 amputations. … In the majority of cases, OSHA asked employers to conduct their own incident investigations and propose remedies to prevent future injuries. OSHA provided employers with guidance materials to assist them in this process. … At other times, the agency determined that the hazards described warranted a worksite inspection.”

For program statistics and an evaluation of the impact of the new requirements, see the full report.