Separate three reporting processes
An internal injury report, an OSHA injury record, and an urgent report to OSHA serve different purposes. A nurse should use the employer's incident and occupational-health process promptly without first trying to determine whether the event is legally recordable.
The employer's designated staff assess the regulatory obligations. This article summarizes federal provisions; coverage, state-plan requirements, and the facts of the case also matter.
What makes a case recordable?
For employers required to maintain OSHA records, the general criteria include work-related cases involving death, days away, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness. Certain significant injuries or illnesses diagnosed by a physician or other licensed healthcare professional also qualify.
Those categories have detailed definitions and exceptions. “Someone saw a clinician” is not, by itself, the full test for medical treatment beyond first aid.
The standard identifies the OSHA 300 log, 300-A summary, and 301 incident report, or equivalent forms. Recordable cases must be entered on the log and incident report within seven calendar days after the employer receives information that a recordable case occurred.
Severe events have a separate clock
Under the federal severe-event reporting rule, the basic deadlines are:
| Reportable work-related event | Reporting deadline |
|---|---|
| Employee fatality | Within eight hours |
| Inpatient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye | Within 24 hours |
The rule has important qualifications. A fatality is reportable under this provision when it occurs within 30 days of the work-related incident. The other listed events must occur within 24 hours of the incident. Separate provisions address when the employer learns of the event or its work-relatedness later.
Inpatient hospitalization means formal admission for care or treatment. Observation or diagnostic testing alone does not meet that reporting definition. Other exceptions appear in the rule, including specified transportation incidents.
These urgent reporting deadlines are different from the seven-day record-entry deadline. An internal form does not itself complete the employer's report to OSHA.
Keep care and documentation connected
A useful internal account identifies the event, time, location, task, exposure or injury, and immediate response. Follow the employer's process for providing subsequent information about treatment or work restrictions.
Do not delay necessary evaluation while deciding which regulatory category applies. For sharps exposures, see needlestick reporting at work.
Protect privacy and avoid incorrect conclusions
OSHA specifies privacy-concern cases, including needlesticks contaminated with another person's blood or other potentially infectious material. Those cases have special log-identification rules.
Recording or reporting an event does not establish that the employer or employee was at fault, that an OSHA rule was violated, or that workers' compensation benefits are owed. Those are separate determinations.
For a specific case, the responsible occupational-health, safety, or legal team should apply the complete current rule.
Sources
- eCFR: 29 CFR 1904.7, General Recording Criteria (accessed 2026-09-17).
- eCFR: 29 CFR 1904.29, Forms (accessed 2026-09-17).
- eCFR: 29 CFR 1904.39, Severe-Event Reporting (accessed 2026-09-17).
- eCFR: 29 CFR 1904.0, Purpose (accessed 2026-09-17).
All regulatory text current through September 15, 2026; accessed September 17, 2026.