OSHA Issues Final Rule on Injury and Illness Recordkeeping Requirements

Author: Ashley Shaw, XpertHR Legal Editor

September 15, 2014

On September 11, 2014, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule on Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Requirements. The new rule will go into effect on January 1, 2015 for the federal plan. States with their own OSH plans will release their own effective dates individually, but OSHA is encouraging them to set a January 1 deadline.

OSHA has also updated its list of low-hazard industries with a partial exemption from recordkeeping requirements. To help an employer quickly spot the changes, it has provided a page showing the new industries that will now have to record applicable injuries and illnesses, which is based on updated information obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Currently, an employer is required to report all workplace fatalities and catastrophes (e.g., in-patient hospitalization of three or more workers) within eight hours. Under the new rule the reporting timeline for fatalities will remain the same, but an employer is required to report all in-patient hospitalization of one or more employees, amputations and losses of eyes to OSHA within 24 hours of the event. Reportable fatalities are those occurring within 30 days of the workplace incident.

OSHA is also developing a web portal for online employer reporting. However, employers will still be able to report using currently existing methods, which include: calling the OSHA hotline - 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) - or calling or visiting a nearby OSHA office during regular business hours.