Reporting a work injury: who must report what, and when, by country

This page describes reporting rules as the regulators and workers' compensation bodies print them. It is not legal advice. Most countries split reporting in two: one report to the safety regulator about serious events, and a separate report to the compensation system so an injured worker can claim. Phone numbers below are written exactly as the official pages print them.

United States

Severe injuries and deaths to OSHA

29 CFR 1904.39 says every employer covered by the OSH Act must report to OSHA two kinds of event.

Event	Report within	Notes
Death of an employee from a work-related incident	8 hours	Only if the death occurs within 30 days of the incident
In-patient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye	24 hours	Only if it occurs within 24 hours of the incident

The rule lists three ways to report: by telephone or in person to the nearest OSHA Area Office, by telephone to the toll-free number 1-800-321-OSHA (1-800-321-6742), or through the reporting application on the OSHA website. If the Area Office is closed, the rule says a message on an answering machine, a fax or an email does not count; the toll-free number or the website application is used. The report gives the establishment name, location and time of the incident, the type of event, the number and names of the employees, a contact person and phone number, and a brief description. If the employer does not learn of the event right away, the clock runs from when it is reported to the employer or its agent. See the OSHA page for 1904.39.

The OSHA 300 log

Separate from reporting is record keeping. Under 29 CFR 1904.1, a company that had 10 or fewer employees at all times during the previous calendar year does not need to keep OSHA injury and illness records unless OSHA or the Bureau of Labor Statistics informs it in writing that it must. The same section says all employers covered by the OSH Act still report under 1904.39. A company with more than ten employees at any time in that year keeps the records unless its establishment is classified as a partially exempt industry. See the OSHA page for 1904.1.

The list of partially exempt industries is Appendix A to Subpart B. In its 56 range it names 5611, 5614, 5615 and 5616, and it has no 5617 entry. The Census Bureau's NAICS table puts tree pruning services and arborist services under 561730, Landscaping Services, which begins with 5617. See the OSHA appendix and the Census NAICS entry.

For businesses that keep the log, 1904.29 says each recordable injury or illness is entered on the OSHA 300 Log and the 301 Incident Report within seven calendar days of receiving information that it occurred. Section 1904.33 says the log, the privacy case list, the annual summary and the 301 forms are saved for five years after the end of the calendar year they cover. See 1904.29 and 1904.33.

State plans

OSHA's state plans page says State Plans are OSHA-approved workplace safety and health programs run by individual states or territories. The page says State Plans must be at least as effective as OSHA. Each State Plan publishes its own rules on its own pages. OSHA lists the states on the state plans page.

Workers' compensation first report

Workers' compensation is a state system, so the first report of injury differs by state. Three examples as the state pages print them.

State	What the page says	Source
Texas	Employer sends DWC Form-001 within eight days after the employee's first day of absence from work, notice of occupational disease, or a death	Texas Department of Insurance
New York	Injuries other than minor ones are reported to the Board and carrier by the 18th day after the injury, or within 10 days after the employer learns of it, whichever is greater	Workers' Compensation Board
California	Employer gives or mails the claim form within one working day after learning of the injury, then forwards the completed form to the insurance company	Division of Workers' Compensation

New York also says an employer who pays for minor first aid directly completes Form C-2F but files it in its own records rather than sending it, and the Board page gives the statutory retention period as 18 years. Texas says the employer keeps a copy of its form as the Employer's Record of Injury required by its Labor Code. See the Texas form instructions, the New York Board page, the New York employer duties page and the California claim page.

Canada

Canadian reporting runs on two tracks in each province: the occupational health and safety regulator for serious events, and the workers' compensation board for claims. They are separate offices in most provinces.

Province	Compensation board report	Serious injury notice
Alberta	Employer report within 72 hours of becoming aware	To a Director as soon as possible
British Columbia	Employer reports within 72 hours	Immediately, by phone
Ontario	WSIB: within three business days	Inspector immediately; written report in 48 hours

Alberta

Section 33 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act says the prime contractor, or the employer where there is no prime contractor, reports the time, place and nature of certain injuries, illnesses and incidents to a Director as soon as possible. The list includes an event that results in a worker's death and one where there is reason to believe a worker has been or will be admitted to hospital beyond treatment in an emergency room or urgent care facility. The employer must also investigate and prepare a report on the circumstances and any corrective action, and keep that report for at least 2 years. Unless a Director, an officer or a police officer says otherwise, nobody disturbs or works at the scene except as needed to attend to injured people and similar steps the section lists. See Part 7 of the act.

WCB Alberta's employer page says the employer is required by law to submit the employer report of injury within 72 hours after becoming aware of an injury or illness. It lists the triggers, including lost time, modified work beyond the date of the accident, death or permanent disability, and medical treatment beyond first aid. See the WCB Alberta employer page.

British Columbia

WorkSafeBC says employers are required to report a worker's injury or illness within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, and must also immediately report serious incidents and fatalities by calling the Prevention Information Line, in addition to the claim report. The contact page prints that line as 1.888.621.7233 (1.888.621.SAFE), 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. The page on serious incidents lists a serious injury or death, a major structural failure or collapse of a building, bridge, tower, crane, hoist, temporary construction support system or excavation, a major release of a hazardous substance, and certain fires, explosions and blasting incidents. It says that unless an officer or peace officer directs otherwise, the scene is not disturbed except to attend to injured or killed persons, to prevent further injuries or death, or to protect endangered property.

The employer investigation page adds two deadlines for investigations: a preliminary investigation and report within 48 hours of an incident, and a full investigation and report within 30 days. See the WorkSafeBC reporting page, the serious incidents page, the contact page and the investigation page.

Ontario

Section 51 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act says that where a person is killed or critically injured at a workplace, the constructor, if any, and the employer notify an inspector, the committee, health and safety representative and trade union, if any, immediately by telephone or other direct means. The employer sends a written report to a Director within forty-eight hours. Section 52 says that where a person is disabled from performing usual work or needs medical attention because of an accident but nobody is critically injured, the employer gives written notice within four days to the committee, representative and union, and to a Director if an inspector requires it. Section 51 also bars disturbing the wreckage at the scene except for saving life, relieving suffering, keeping an essential public utility running or preventing unnecessary damage, until an inspector gives permission. See the act.

The WSIB page says the employer must report an injury or illness to WSIB within three business days and give the worker a copy of the report. A worker does not have to be reported if all of these apply: only first aid was needed, no time off work was taken, pay was not affected, and no modified work lasted more than seven calendar days. For modified work, WSIB says it must receive Form 7 within three business days of the eighth calendar day of modified work. The page prints 1-800-387-0750 as the number to call 24/7 in the event of a fatal workplace accident. See the WSIB page.

Quebec and the rest

Quebec's body is the CNESST, which requires a register of minor accidents, described in the site paperwork guide. The other provinces and territories each have their own board and their own deadlines, so the board's own site is the place to read them.

United Kingdom

RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. HSE's pages describe what is reported and when.

What happens	Timing HSE states	Route
Death, specified injury to a worker, or dangerous occurrence	Without delay; report received within 10 days	Online form, or phone for deaths and specified injuries to workers
Worker unable to do normal work for more than 7 days	Within 15 days of the accident	Online form
Diagnosed occupational disease	As soon as a diagnosis is received	Online form

The HSE page prints 0345 300 9923 for phoning about fatal accidents or accidents with specified injuries to workers only. All incidents can be reported online.

What counts

Specified injuries. The list includes fractures other than to fingers, thumbs and toes, amputation of an arm, hand, finger, thumb, leg, foot or toe, injury likely to cause permanent loss or reduction of sight, burns covering more than 10% of the body or causing significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs, scalping needing hospital treatment, and some crush injuries and enclosed-space injuries. HSE says self-diagnosed suspected fractures are not reportable.
Over-7-day injuries. The count of seven days leaves out the day of the accident but includes weekends and rest days.
Over-3-day injuries. These are recorded, in an accident book where one is required, and not reported.
Deaths later. A worker who dies within one year (365 days) of a reportable work-related injury is reported as a work-related fatality.
Occupational diseases. The list includes hand-arm vibration syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome where the work involves regular use of vibrating tools, with chainsaws named on the HSE page.
Dangerous occurrences. These include the collapse or overturning of any lifting equipment, or the failure of a load-bearing part, whether it lifts goods, materials or people.

Who reports

HSE says that where a self-employed person is injured while working on someone else's premises, the person in control of the premises is responsible for reporting. A self-employed person working on their own premises or in domestic premises reports a reportable accident themselves, and also a work-related disease diagnosed by a doctor.

Records

HSE says a record is kept of any reportable injury, over-seven-day injury, disease or dangerous occurrence. If the online confirmation copy is not kept, the record includes the date and method of reporting, the date, time and place of the event, personal details of those involved, and a brief description. Employers who must keep an accident book under social security law can use it for injuries. HSE also says the information in a RIDDOR report is not passed on to the insurance company. See when to report, how to report, types of incident, specified injuries, who should report, what to keep and dangerous occurrences.

Australia

The model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act is the base in most states and territories. The text below is from the New South Wales version; Victoria has its own Act, covered after it.

Notifiable incidents

Section 35 says a notifiable incident is the death of a person, a serious injury or illness of a person, or a dangerous incident. Section 36 defines a serious injury or illness as one needing immediate treatment as an in-patient in a hospital, or immediate treatment for an amputation, a serious head or eye injury, a serious burn, degloving or scalping, a spinal injury, loss of a bodily function or serious lacerations, or medical treatment within 48 hours of exposure to a substance. Section 37 lists dangerous incidents, which include electric shock and the fall or release from a height of any plant, substance or thing, even when nobody is hurt.

Section 38 says a person who conducts a business or undertaking must make sure the regulator is notified immediately after becoming aware of a notifiable incident, by the fastest possible means, by telephone or in writing. A person who phones must give the details the regulator asks for and, if the regulator requires, give written notice within 48 hours of that requirement being made. A record of each notifiable incident is kept for at least 5 years from the day notice is given. Section 39 says the person with management or control of the workplace must make sure, so far as reasonably practicable, that the site is not disturbed until an inspector arrives or directs otherwise, and it lists what is allowed, including helping an injured person, removing a deceased person and making the site safe. See the NSW act.

State regulators

Regulator	Phone as printed	Other timing
SafeWork NSW	13 10 50, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week	Insurer notified within 48 hours
WorkSafe Victoria	13 23 60, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week	Written report within 48 hours; copy kept 5 years

The SafeWork NSW page says a serious injury or illness, a death or a dangerous incident must be reported immediately on 13 10 50, and that an incident scene is not disturbed until an inspector arrives or gives direction. It adds that the business records the injury in the register of injuries and notifies its workers compensation insurer within 48 hours. The NSW Tree works code of practice, which commenced on 27 March 2026, repeats that SafeWork NSW is notified immediately and gives the same number. See the SafeWork NSW page and the code of practice.

In Victoria the duty comes from the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. WorkSafe says an employer or self-employed person must notify WorkSafe immediately on 13 23 60, preserve the incident site until an inspector arrives or directs otherwise, provide written notification within 48 hours and keep a copy for at least 5 years. The page prints the Advisory Service as 1800 136 089, between 8:00 am and 5:30 pm, Monday to Friday. The other states and the territories each publish their own notification page. See the WorkSafe Victoria duties page and the how-to-report page.

New Zealand

WorkSafe New Zealand says that under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 a business must make sure the regulator is notified as soon as possible after becoming aware that a notifiable event arising from the business has happened. A notifiable event is a death, a notifiable injury or illness, or a notifiable incident.

Injury or illness. All injuries or illnesses that require, or would usually require, a person to be admitted to hospital for immediate treatment are notifiable. Other listed triggers include amputation, a serious head injury, a serious eye injury, a serious burn, a spinal injury, loss of a bodily function and serious lacerations. The eye example on the page includes an injury caused by an object entering the eye, such as a metal fragment or wood chip.
Incident. A notifiable incident is an unplanned or uncontrolled incident that exposes people to a serious risk from, among other things, the fall or release from height of any plant, substance or thing, or the collapse of a structure.
Phone. For a death, the page says to notify WorkSafe immediately by phone on 0800 030 040 (24/7), and in an emergency to phone 111. Outside business hours, for a death or a serious injury, illness or incident needing immediate attention, the notification page says to call 0800 030 040 and select option 2 or option 3. Other notifications go through an online form.
Records. The business keeps records of notifiable events for at least five years from the date the regulator was notified.

Read the WorkSafe page on which events need to be notified and its notification page.

ACC claims

ACC is the separate accident compensation scheme. Its page for injured people says the treatment provider, such as a doctor, physiotherapist or hospital, makes the claim to ACC on the person's behalf by filling out the forms. It says weekly compensation of up to 80% of earnings before the injury may be available if the injury stops the person working, that it does not start automatically, and that the person applies through a MyACC account or by calling. The page prints the claims number as 0800 101 996. See the ACC page for injured people.

At a glance

Country	Serious event goes to	Timing stated
United States	OSHA	8 hours for a death, 24 hours for hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye
Canada	Provincial OHS regulator and compensation board	Immediately or as soon as possible; 72 hours or three business days for claims
United Kingdom	HSE or the local authority, under RIDDOR	Without delay; 15 days for over-7-day injuries
Australia	State WHS regulator	Immediately
New Zealand	WorkSafe New Zealand; ACC for claims	As soon as possible

For the written records kept around the work itself, see the site paperwork guide.