Last year, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updated the rules for reporting severe injuries and illnesses. The federal rules require employers to report all in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye to OSHA within 24 hours of learning about it. By law, the states that operate under OSHA-approved State Plans are required to adopt rules identical to or at least as effective as the federal regulation.
Iowa operates its own OSHA program and has adopted the new illness and injury reporting requirements of the federal regulation. The rule change has required Iowa to update its state-OSHA Job Safety and Health posting. The workplace posting has been revised in several parts to clarify and streamline information regarding employee’s and employer’s rights and obligations, when to contact Iowa OSHA, and how to contact the division. The posting also specifically refers to reporting fatalities, hospitalizations, amputations and losses of an eye. Iowa employers may make illness and injury reports by visiting the Iowa OSHA website, by electronic submission, by telephone or in person. The current Iowa OSHA web address, email address, telephone number, and street address are provided on the Iowa OSHA posting.
Iowa employers are required by IAC 875-3.1(88) to post the current Job Safety and Health posting in the workplace. Compliance Poster Company has updated the Iowa All-On-One Labor Law Poster with the revised Iowa Job Safety and Health posting and updated the state Minimum Wage and Unemployment Insurance notices with current contact information and locations.