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['Infectious Diseases']
['Infectious Diseases', 'COVID-19']
12/11/2023
Copyright 2026 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.
Institute
Infectious Diseases
Safety & Health
Infectious Diseases
COVID-19
General Industry Safety
What Would you Do Questions
English
Analysis
Focus Area
USA
When the unthinkable happens
Scenario: During the busy season, your retail business picks up with several customers stopping in from out of town. This puts your workers at a higher risk of getting sick during spikes of COVID-19 cases. Sarah is one of your frontline workers at the cash register. She’s exposed to a sick customer, and five days later, becomes ill.
Sarah’s symptoms worsen. She is hospitalized after ten days. Three weeks later, in a devastating turn of events, she loses her life.
Question: Should you report this fatality to OSHA?
Click below to see answer.
When the unthinkable happens: Answer
Answer: Yes. Under 1904.39(b)(6), an employer must “report a fatality to OSHA if the fatality occurs within thirty (30) days of the work-related incident.” For cases of COVID-19, the term “incident” means an exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in the workplace. Therefore, in order to be reportable, a fatality due to COVID-19 must occur within 30 days of an exposure to SARS-CoV-2 at work.
infectious-diseases
Infectious Diseases
infectious-diseases
Infectious Diseases
When the unthinkable happens
Scenario: During the busy season, your retail business picks up with several customers stopping in from out of town. This puts your workers at a higher risk of getting sick during spikes of COVID-19 cases. Sarah is one of your frontline workers at the cash register. She’s exposed to a sick customer, and five days later, becomes ill.
Sarah’s symptoms worsen. She is hospitalized after ten days. Three weeks later, in a devastating turn of events, she loses her life.
Question: Should you report this fatality to OSHA?
Click below to see answer.
When the unthinkable happens: Answer
Answer: Yes. Under 1904.39(b)(6), an employer must “report a fatality to OSHA if the fatality occurs within thirty (30) days of the work-related incident.” For cases of COVID-19, the term “incident” means an exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in the workplace. Therefore, in order to be reportable, a fatality due to COVID-19 must occur within 30 days of an exposure to SARS-CoV-2 at work.
Scenario: During the busy season, your retail business picks up with several customers stopping in from out of town. This puts your workers at a higher risk of getting sick during spikes of COVID-19 cases. Sarah is one of your frontline workers at the cash register. She’s exposed to a sick customer, and five days later, becomes ill.
Sarah’s symptoms worsen. She is hospitalized after ten days. Three weeks later, in a devastating turn of events, she loses her life.
Question: Should you report this fatality to OSHA?
Click below to see answer.
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Answer
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Copyright 2026 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.