Short answer: only certain hospitalizations trigger the report. If the employee was admitted as an inpatient for treatment beyond observation or diagnostic testing — or suffered an amputation, loss of an eye, serious permanent disfigurement, or died — and it's work-related, you must report it to your Cal/OSHA district office as soon as practically possible, and no later than 8 hours after you knew (or reasonably should have known). An ER visit that ends in treat-and-release, or an overnight stay purely for observation or tests, does not trigger the 8-hour report.
Ask the hospital or the family one question: was the employee admitted for treatment, or kept for observation and tests? That distinction decides whether the 8-hour clock applies. If you can't find out quickly, treat it as reportable — see the callout below.
Reporting is a phone call. Have ready: what happened, when and where, the nature of the injury, the employee's job, and a contact person. The 8 hours run from when you knew or reasonably should have known — not from when you got around to checking.
Any injury needing more than first aid starts the workers' compensation paperwork. The DWC-1 goes to the employee (or family) within one working day of your knowledge of the injury.
The Employer's Report of Occupational Injury or Illness goes to your claims administrator within five days of knowledge.
Date, time, location, type of violence (1–4), what happened, who responded, consequences — with no names or personal identifying information in the log. Do it while memories are fresh.
Witness statements, footage, and a written record of what you found and what you're changing. Investigation records are a 5-year keep.
SB 553 requires a plan review after every incident. Even a short dated note showing what you checked and changed demonstrates follow-through.
Not sure it counts as "serious"? Call the district office and describe the situation — they'll tell you whether it's reportable. A five-minute call costs nothing; a missed 8-hour report is one of the few SB 553-adjacent mistakes with an unforgiving deadline. When the facts are unclear, err on the side of calling.
The state's own instructions for reporting a serious injury or death.
Find the phone number for your area — this is who you call.
Cal/OSHA's plain-language overview of the workplace violence requirements.
If the injury was serious or you expect a claim, this is a good moment to talk with a Cal/OSHA defense attorney — the legal help section lists the firms employers call.