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Any small business with employees must determine whether their company is covered by workers compensation laws of this state. And most companies do comply with the workers compensation laws. Employers, however, also need to keep in mind OSHA, the federal government Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA has specific rules for recording and reporting occupational injuries and illnesses. There are fines for failure to report workplace injuries and illnesses, so proper reporting is important.

Additionally, as of January 1, 2015, OSHA requires employers covered by the OSHA laws to report any work injury causing inpatient care for one or more employees, provided the care occurs within 24 hours of the work related incident. There is also a specific definition for inpatient care, and even though an emergency room only admits the employee for “observation,” chances are that an employee will be treated and the trigger for reporting the injury to OSHA will be met.

Keep in mind that a small business that meets the OSHA rules can have as few as 11 or more employees. If you are an employer, are concerned about OSHA rules and workplace injuries, and want legal guidance for reporting either a workers compensation injury or OSHA reporting, contact David Schmidt at the Woodlawn Law Offices at 636.240.6667. 

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