Subpart E
You must report a work-related employee fatality to OSHA within eight (8) hours of the death. This is required under 1904.39(a)(1).
You must report a work-related in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye to OSHA within twenty-four (24) hours of the event. This is required under 1904.39(a)(2).
You may report by (1) telephone or in person to the nearest OSHA Area Office, (2) telephone to OSHA’s toll-free central number 1-800-321-OSHA (1-800-321-6742), or (3) by electronic submission using OSHA’s reporting application on the OSHA website. This is specified in 1904.39(a)(3).
If the Area Office is closed, you must report using OSHA’s toll-free number or the electronic reporting application; you may not leave a message, fax, or email the Area Office. This requirement is in 1904.39(b)(1).
You must provide the establishment name, incident location, time of the incident, type of event (fatality, in‑patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye), number of employees affected, names of affected employees, a contact person and phone number, and a brief description of the incident. These required items are listed in 1904.39(b)(2).
If the motor vehicle accident occurred in a construction work zone, you must report the fatality, in‑patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye to OSHA; if it occurred on a public street or highway outside a construction work zone, you do not have to report it to OSHA (but you may still need to record it). This distinction is explained in 1904.39(b)(3) and 1904.39(b)(4).
No, you do not have to report a fatality, in‑patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye to OSHA if it occurred on a commercial or public transportation system (for example, an airplane, train, subway, or bus). This is stated in 1904.39(b)(4).
You must report a fatality only if the death occurs within thirty (30) days of the work-related incident; you must report an in‑patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye only if it occurs within twenty‑four (24) hours of the work-related incident. This timing requirement is in 1904.39(b)(6).
If you learn about a reportable fatality, you must report to OSHA within eight (8) hours after it is reported to you or your agent; for an in‑patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye you must report within twenty‑four (24) hours after it is reported to you or your agent. The same timelines apply if you later learn the event was work-related. See 1904.39(b)(7) and 1904.39(b)(8).
OSHA defines "in‑patient hospitalization" as a formal admission to the in‑patient service of a hospital or clinic for care or treatment, and you do not have to report hospital stays that involve only observation or diagnostic testing. This is stated in 1904.39(b)(9) and 1904.39(b)(10).
OSHA defines an amputation as the traumatic loss of a limb or other external body part; this includes complete or partial severing (including fingertip amputations with or without bone loss), medical amputations due to irreparable damage, and amputations of parts that were later reattached. This definition appears in 1904.39(b)(11).
Yes, you must report a work-related fatality or in‑patient hospitalization caused by a heart attack; your local OSHA Area Office director will decide whether to investigate based on the circumstances. This is addressed in 1904.39(b)(5).
A motor vehicle fatality is work‑related and reportable if it occurred while the employee was engaged in work activities in the interest of the employer; injuries occurring in a construction work zone are reportable under 1904.39(b)(3). OSHA’s June 12, 2024 Letter of Interpretation at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2024-06-12 explains travel‑status rules including the "home away from home" concept and the exceptions that can make a travel‑related accident non‑work‑related.
Yes, you can use OSHA’s electronic reporting application on OSHA’s website to submit reports of fatalities, in‑patient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye as allowed in 1904.39(a)(3)(iii).
Yes, when reporting a fatality, in‑patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye you must provide the names of the employees affected, per 1904.39(b)(2)(vi).
No, you only need to report a work-related fatality to OSHA if the death occurs within thirty (30) days of the work-related incident, as stated in 1904.39(b)(6).
No, an in‑patient hospitalization that involves only observation or diagnostic testing is not reportable to OSHA. This is clarified in 1904.39(b)(10).
Your internal process should ensure prompt notification, clear assignment of who reports to OSHA, and use of the approved reporting methods so reports are made within eight (8) hours for fatalities and twenty‑four (24) hours for hospitalizations, amputations, or loss of an eye, as required in 1904.39(a)(1)–(2).
Provide a concise summary that describes what happened, the immediate cause or circumstances, and the affected body parts or nature of the injury; this brief description is required by 1904.39(b)(2)(viii).
OSHA will accept electronically generated recordkeeping forms if they are equivalent to the OSHA forms and meet the requirements for readability, content, and availability, as explained in OSHA’s Letter of Interpretation at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2025-04-29 and the recordkeeping provisions in Part 1904. For reporting of fatalities and hospitalizations specifically, use the reporting methods required in 1904.39(a)(3).