OSHA for decades has collected and published aggregated industry information on workplace injuries and illnesses. The difference this year is OSHA will make employer-specific data available to the public, allowing employers to compare their safety data with others in their industry.
One of the goals of OSHA’s new reporting rule is to use public disclosure to encourage employers to reduce injury and illness incidents and to make large data sets available to researchers. OSHA emphasized that an employer’s procedure for reporting work-related injuries and illnesses must be reasonable and not deter or discourage employees from reporting. In addition, employers must make employees aware of their right to report work-related injuries and illnesses, and employers may not retaliate against workers who report them.
The administration originally proposed the rule in 2013 to improve injury and illness tracking. Under the final rule, employers in the following categories must file their OSHA data electronically by July 1, 2017:
- Employers with 250 or more employees that are required to keep OSHA records must file Forms 300, (“Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses”) 300A (“Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses”) and 301 (“Injury and Illness Incident Report”).
- Establishments with 20 to 249 employees that are classified in industries that historically have high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses — such as agriculture, construction and manufacturing — must report Form 300A.
Selected industries required to report electronically
Employers required to file electronically in 2018 have a submission deadline of July 1, 2018. In 2019, the deadline will move up to March 2, according to OSHA. For a complete list of industries and exemptions, click here.
The earlier an employer can identify a workplace hazard, OSHA notes, the sooner the employer can remove or mitigate it and reduce future injuries and illnesses.
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