1910.502(r)(1): COVID-19 Reporting Deadlines
Employers must report to OSHA each work-related COVID-19 fatality within 8 hours of learning about it, and each work-related COVID-19 in-patient hospitalization within 24 hours of learning about it.
Key takeaways
- 1910.502(r)(1) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart U).
- OSHA cited it 1 times in the last 3 years, in 1 inspections, with $450 in current penalties.
- 1 death is linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Related part: 1910.502(r) Reporting COVID-19 fatalities and hospitalizations to OSHA (1 citations).
- Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.
In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.502(r)(1) is one requirement inside 1910.502 Healthcare, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart U). It includes 2 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(1) The employer must report to OSHA: 1 citations
(i) Each work-related COVID-19 fatality within 8 hours of the employer learning about the fatality.
(ii) Each work-related COVID-19 in-patient hospitalization within 24 hours of the employer learning about the in-patient hospitalization. Open (r)(1)(ii) 1 citations
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.502.
Injuries linked to this rule
1 death is linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.502(r)(1).
The employee worked as a paramedic on an ambulance. The employee was directly exposed to a COVID-19 positive patient on September 27, 2023, during patient transport. The employee exhibited COVID-19 symptoms on October 10, 2023 and tested COVID-19 positive on October 11, 2023. The employee…
Where and how often it was cited
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A 5-minute crew talk on 1910.502(r)(1), plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.502(r)(1).
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.502(r) Reporting COVID-19 fatalities and hospitalizations to OSHA 1 citations
- 1910.502(r)(1)(ii) 1 citations
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Frequently asked questions
What is the deadline for a fatality?
Within 8 hours of the employer learning about the fatality.
What is the deadline for an in-patient hospitalization?
Within 24 hours of the employer learning about it.
Must the case be work-related?
Yes, the rule covers work-related COVID-19 fatalities and hospitalizations.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.502 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-10-20
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.