Most employers know you have to immediately report fatalities or certain serious injuries and illnesses to Cal/OSHA, the state agency that oversees workplace health and safety. But do you know exactly how long you have to report an incident? What information you have to give Cal/OSHA? Or even what phone number to call? It’s critical to be up on the rules because a new state law recently set a minimum penalty of $5,000 for violations. Here’s a practical guide to what you need to know.
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Injury Reporting Basics
What to report. You must report by telephone or fax to Cal/OSHA that, as a result of a work-related incident, an employee has died or suffered a serious injury or illness. You have to report, for example, accidents that lead to the amputation of a body part or a serious degree of permanent disfigurement, such as severe burns, as well as when an employee is hospitalized longer than 24 hours for reasons other than observation.
Note that you don’t have to report a fatality or hospitalization that occurs because of a motor vehicle accident that happened on a public street or highway and not in a construction zone. But these accidents still must be recorded on your Cal/OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses), if you’re required to keep one.
When to make the report. You must report to Cal/OSHA within eight hours. If you don’t learn of an incident right away, you must report it within eight hours of when you or any of your agents or employees becomes aware of it. If you miss the eight-hour deadline, Cal/OSHA may extend it to 24 hours as long as you can explain extenuating circumstances existed.
Where to make the report. You can contact the nearest district Cal/OSHA office by phone or by fax. A list of the area phone numbers can be found at www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH/DistrictOffices.htm.
What information is required. You will have to provide Cal/OSHA the following information for each fatality or serious injury/illness incident:
- Your company name, address, and phone number
- The name and job title of the person reporting the incident
- The time and date of the accident and the address where it occurred
- A contact person at the accident site
- The injured employee’s name and address and the nature of the injury
- The location to which the injured employee was moved
- The identity of any law enforcement agencies present at the accident site
- A description of the accident and whether the site has been altered
Who’s covered. Note that all employers are covered by these injury reporting rules. This is true even if you are exempt from Cal/OSHA recordkeeping requirements, including Cal/OSHA Form 300 rules, because you have 10 or fewer employees or because you are in an exempt industry.