This new rule calls for employer to electronically submit their workplace injuries and illness that they have already recorded.
Why is OSHA implementing this new form of tracking workplace injuries?
There is a couple of reasons.
- OSHA believes that this new workplace reporting rule will improve safety for workers everywhere. OSHA believes that this new rule will encourage employers to pay more attention to safety in the workplace.
- When employers focus on safety accidents will decrease, when accidents decrease the employers will be more profitable.
- Finally, this new workplace reporting rule will ensure a higher rate of accuracy with regards to accident reporting.
What does this new rule mean for employers in 2017?
This new rule regarding tracking of workplace injuries will require some employer to submit their illness and injury data that they current have on record online. This information will allow OSHA to analyze this information then use the enforcement and compliance teams more effectively and efficiently.
OSHA believes that by making this information public employers will be more apt to comply. This compliance will help cut down or workplace accident benefiting everyone from the employer to the employee.
Employers who are required to submit this information will not be able to do so until July of 2017. Again there will only be certain employers that will be required to submit last year’s workplace injuries on line
this year.
How will this electronic submission be done?
OSHA is going to provide a secure website that will give employers three options to choose from.
- Employers will be able to enter this information on a web-form from their computer
- The next option will be that employers can upload the information using a CSV file.
- Employers who have automated recording keeping software will be able to us the software’s capabilities to transfer the information needed.
- For updates you can go to osha.gov/recordkeeping
Compliance schedule for tracking workplace injuries
It will take two years before all employers will have to file the OSHA 300 log online.
Employers with 250 employees or more that do business in the required industries will have to post the 2016 workplace injury log 300A by July 1, 2017, these employers will also have to submit the information from the 2017 forms 300A, 300 and 301 by July 1 2018.
After that all reporting information will have to be submitted by March 2 of 2019.
Employers with 20-249 employees in certain high-risk industries will have to follow the same procedures for tracking workplace injuries.
All state agencies will have to begin the same procedures within six months of final published ruling.