The Occupational Safety and Health Administration last week released the final rule, “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses,” which requires employers to electronically submit illness and injury data, something employers currently collect but submit voluntarily.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration last week released the final rule, “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses,” which requires employers to electronically submit illness and injury data, something employers currently collect but submit voluntarily.
The rule, published in the Federal Register, requires companies with 250 or more employees to electronically submit OSHA injury and illness information using OSHA Forms 300, 300A and 301; while companies with 20–249 employees need to fill out only OSHA Form 300A.
The data will be collected and made available to the public.
"Our new reporting requirements will 'nudge' employers to prevent worker injuries and illnesses to demonstrate to investors, job seekers, customers and the public that they operate safe and well-managed facilities,” said OSHA Assistant Secretary of Labor David Michaels in a statement. “Access to injury data will also help OSHA better target our compliance assistance and enforcement resources at establishments where workers are at greatest risk, and enable 'big data' researchers to apply their skills to making workplaces safer."
The National Association of Home Builders is concerned the rule will result in employers under-reporting injuries to avoid bad publicity, according to Remodeling.
Meanwhile, the AFL-CIO said in a statement that the rule will help prevent injuries, illness and deaths.
