OSHA’s “Serious Event Reporting Online Form” has recently gone live. The Agency’s new recordkeeping rule that went into effect in January 2015 requires employers to report to OSHA any work-related fatality within 8 hours and any inpatient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye within 24 hours.
Employers have three options for reporting these serious events:

• Call OSHA’s free and confidential number at 800-321-OSHA (6742);
• Call your closest area office during normal business hours; or
• Use the new online form at https://www.osha.gov/pls/ser/serform.html.

All employers under OSHA jurisdiction must report these incidents to OSHA, even if you are exempt from routinely keeping OSHA records because of your company size or industry.
When reporting, be prepared to supply:

• Business name;
• Names of affected employees;
• Location and time of the incident;
• Brief description of the incident;
• Contact person; and
• Phone number.

Currently, if you live in a state-plan state for both the public and private sector, you cannot use the form, yet. When you enter the state, it will redirect to a page with additional reporting instructions. If you live in a state regulated under federal OSHA or a state-plan state for just public sector employers, you are able to use the online form.