As reported in EmployNews, last year the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration adopted new rules requiring employers to report within 24 hours every in-patient hospitalization resulting from a work-related accident or illness. The prior rule only required reporting when three or more employees were admitted to the hospital. For states with federal OSHA jurisdiction, the new reporting rules took effect January 1. States with their own OSHA enforcement programs have until January 1, 2016 to comply with the new reporting requirements.

A number of states have already changed their reporting rules to comply with the new requirement. North Carolina OSHA now requires compliance with the new single employee hospitalization rule. The report may be made via telephone or through submittal of an online form. Workplace fatalities must be immediately reported to OSHA by telephone. The online injury reporting form can be found here.