Answer: Yes, you must report a hospitalization due to a heart attack, even if you do not initially believe it was work-related. The recordkeeping regulation at 1904.39(b)(5) requires reporting fatalities or in-patient hospitalizations caused by heart attacks, and notes that your local OSHA Area Office director will decide whether to investigate, depending on the circumstances.

Although heart attacks commonly involve a pre-existing non-work condition, events or exposures at work (such as physical exertion or exposure to electricity) could potentially trigger a heart attack. An initial evaluation might not identify a workplace exposure, but the employer should still report the event to OSHA.