Maintaining OSHA compliance during COVID-19: Reporting

by Norman Paul, SWBC BusinessHUB

In recent months, businesses across the country have begun to transition back into the office at a time when COVID-19 cases are on the rise in some localities. This has presented a logistical challenge for many business leaders and HR personnel when it comes to maintaining OSHA compliance in the midst of a public health crisis, particularly in regard to recording and reporting work-related cases of COVID-19.

On September 30, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published additional answers to its COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) clarifying reporting and recording guidelines for COVID-19-related in-patient hospitalizations and fatalities. In this blog post, we will detail the specific circumstances in which employers are legally responsible to report instances of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, provide information on the appropriate timeline for these reports, and offer resources for how to report incidents to OSHA.

Related Reading: FAQs Regarding Return-to-Work Guidelines

Recording vs. Reporting Requirements

According to OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements, “COVID-19 is a recordable illness,” and thus employers are responsible for recording cases of COVID-19, if:

 

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