Gathering the Facts
What is an Accident?
An accident is the final event in an unplanned process that results in injury or illness to an employee and possibly property damage. It is the final result or effect of a number of surface and root causes.
- An 'event' occurs when one 'actor' (one person or thing) performs an 'action' (does something).
- A person or thing (equipment, tools, materials, etc.) does something that results in a change of state.
- An accident may be the result of many factors (simultaneous, interconnected, cross-linked events) that have interacted in some dynamic way.
Reporting Accidents to OSHA
If your company is in the private sector, and a serious accident or fatality occurs, you may be required to report it to your State or Federal OSHA office.
OSHA Standard 1904.39, Reporting fatalities, hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye as a result of work-related incidents to OSHA, details the specific requirements.
Basic Requirements
Within eight (8) hours after the death of any employee as a result of a work-related incident, you must report the fatality to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor.
Within twenty-four (24) hours after the inpatient hospitalization of one or more employees or an employee's amputation or loss of an eye as a result of a work-related incident, you must report the inpatient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye to OSHA.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-1. How soon must an employer report a work-related fatality to OSHA?
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