Incident Investigation & Reporting Flashcards

Under OSHA 29 CFR 1904.39, within what time frame must an employer report a work-related fatality to OSHA?

Answer: 8 hours

Work-related fatalities must be reported to OSHA within 8 hours of the employer learning of them.

A worker loses an eye in a work-related incident. How quickly must the employer report this to OSHA?

Answer: Within 24 hours

Inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye must be reported within 24 hours.

How many calendar days does an employer have to enter a recordable injury on the OSHA 300 Log after receiving information that it occurred?

Answer: 7 calendar days

1904.29 requires recordable cases to be entered within 7 calendar days of receiving information about them.

Which of the following is considered first aid, and therefore NOT recordable on its own, under OSHA recordkeeping rules?

Answer: Butterfly bandages or Steri-Strips

Wound coverings such as butterfly bandages and Steri-Strips are on OSHA's first aid list, whereas sutures are medical treatment.

During the evidence-gathering phase of an investigation, what is the primary purpose of maintaining a chain of custody for physical evidence?

Answer: To document handling so evidence integrity can be defended later

Chain of custody records who handled evidence and when, preserving its credibility for legal or technical review.

An investigator asks 'why' repeatedly until reaching a systemic management cause. Which technique is this?

Answer: 5 Whys

The 5 Whys technique iteratively asks why an event occurred to drill past symptoms to root causes.

For how long must an employer retain OSHA 300 Logs, 300A Summaries, and 301 Incident Reports?

Answer: 5 years following the end of the calendar year they cover

1904.33 requires retention for 5 years following the end of the covered calendar year.