N.H. governor signs bill on worker death reporting

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu on Monday signed into law a new accident reporting requirement for employers whose workers are killed or seriously injured on the job.

H.B. 406, which will go into effect in 59 days, requires that “every employer shall report the death of any person in the workplace or on the workplace premises within 8 hours of such occurrence to the commissioner of the department of labor by telephone or electronically.” The report must include “as fully as possible the cause of the death and the place where the body of the deceased person was sent,” and must supply “any other information relative to the death that may be required by the commissioner.”

The new law puts New Hampshire in line with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s severe injury reporting rule.

It calls for regulators to investigate the cause of death and “may notify the employer of precautions to be taken that may prevent the recurrence of similar events.” The law also states that “a statement contained in any such report shall not be admissible in evidence in any action arising out of the death reported.”

 H.B. 406 also requires employers to report serious injuries within 24 hours of an incident.