Fatalities must be reported to OSHA within 8 hours; all other catastrophes within 24 hours. Which statement best captures these timelines?

• A. Fatalities must be reported to OSHA within 24 hours; all other catastrophes within 48 hours.
• B. Fatalities must be reported to OSHA within 8 hours; all other catastrophes within 24 hours.
• C. Fatalities must be reported to OSHA within 12 hours; all other catastrophes within 24 hours.
• D. Fatalities must be reported to OSHA within 8 hours; all other catastrophes within 12 hours.

Answer: (D)

The key idea is how quickly OSHA must be informed about serious workplace events. Fatalities require reporting within 8 hours of learning about the incident, while other catastrophes—such as inpatient hospitalizations of workers, amputations, or loss of an eye—must be reported within 24 hours. This split reflects prioritizing immediate notification for the most severe outcome (death) and a shorter, but still prompt, window for other serious events to enable timely investigations and corrective actions. So the statement that matches these timelines is the one that sets fatalities at 8 hours and other catastrophes at 24 hours.