WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2023
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule to require certain employers in designated high-hazard industries to electronically submit injury and illness information to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
According to the release, the new rule will include the following submission requirements:
Additionally, OSHA intends to publish some of the data collected on its website to allow employers, employees, potential employees, employee representatives, current and potential customers, researchers and the general public to use information about a company's workplace safety and health record to make informed decisions.
OSHA says that it believes that providing public access to the data will ultimately reduce occupational injuries and illnesses.
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| Ed Brown, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
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Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule to require certain employers in designated high-hazard industries to electronically submit injury and illness information to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. |
“Congress intended for the Occupational Safety and Health Act to include reporting procedures that would provide the agency and the public with an understanding of the safety and health problems workers face, and this rule is a big step in finally realizing that objective,” explained Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker.
“OSHA will use these data to intervene through strategic outreach and enforcement to reduce worker injuries and illnesses in high-hazard industries. The safety and health community will benefit from the insights this information will provide at the industry level, while workers and employers will be able to make more informed decisions about their workplace's safety and health.”
The final rule reportedly retains the current requirements for electronic submission of information from Form 300A from establishments with 20-249 employees in certain high-hazard industries, as well as from establishments with 250 or more employees in industries that must routinely keep OSHA injury and illness records.
The final rule is slated to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
The announcement follows proposed amendments announced in March 2022 to regulations for requiring specific establishments in certain high-hazard industries to electronically submit information from their Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, and Injury and Illness Incident Report.
2022 Injury, Illness Data
At the end of March, OSHA published its 2022 injury and illness data as part of its electronic recordkeeping requirements. The Injury Tracking Application data was collected from submitted OSHA Form 300A information from Jan. 2 to March 2, 2023.
At the beginning of the year, OSHA issued its annual reminder to specific employers to submit the required data. Electronic submissions are required by establishments with 250 or more employees, and establishments with 20-249 employees classified in specific industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses.
According to the Administration, providing access to injury and illness data helps identify unsafe conditions and workplace hazards that may cause occupational injuries and illnesses, acting as the first step to control them and reduce these instances.
Additionally, the data provides employers, workers and the public with valuable insights so they can make informed decisions. OSHA also expects the information to improve research on the occurrence, prevention and control of workplace hazards, injuries and illnesses.
Over the last year, OSHA reportedly conducted extensive outreach through website updates, social media outreach and stakeholder emails to help employers understand their obligations and submit 2021 data. As part of its continued recordkeeping enforcement efforts, OSHA reports it will work to identify establishments that failed to submit their 2022 Form 300A data.
Establishments that are required to submit injury and illness data electronically, and have not yet done so, must submit their Form 300A to the ITA.
The full list of data can be downloaded here.
Tagged categories: Construction; Contractors; Department of Labor; Good Technical Practice; Government; Hazards; Health & Safety; Health and safety; Labor; OSHA; OSHA; Program/Project Management; Regulations; Safety; Subcontractors; Workers
