Deadline to post injury/illness tallies approaching quickly

Employers covered under the federal OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping and posting requirements have until April 30 to post their OSHA 300A logs.

A summary of their job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2012 and were logged onto OSHA's Form 300 must be signed, certified, and displayed in a common area of the workplace.

The posted summary must include the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in the previous year even if it is zero. Employers must also provide information about the annual average number of employees and total hours worked during the calendar year.

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Form 300A is a requirement for most employers except those with 10 or fewer employees and those in certain industries that are exempt. A listing of the exempt industries in the retail, services, finance, insurance, and real estate sectors is available through the Department of Labor's website.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics may select exempted employers to participate in an annual statistical survey. All employers covered by OSHA must comply with safety and health standards.

All accidents that result in at least one death or in the hospitalization of three or more employees must be reported verbally within eight hours to the nearest OSHA office. Covered employers are required to do the following to comply with OSHA's Recordkeeping Regulation:

Record all work-related fatalities.
Record all work-related injuries and illnesses that result in days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, loss of consciousness or medical treatment beyond first aid.
Record significant work-related injuries or illnesses diagnoses by a physician or other licensed health care professional even if it does not result in death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness.

Injuries include cases such as a cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation, and include both acute and chronic illnesses such as a skin disease, respiratory disorder, or poisoning. OSHA's definition of work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities are those in which an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the condition, or an event or exposure in the work environment that significantly aggravated a preexisting injury or illness.

Read more at the WorkersComp Forum homepage.

March 4, 2013

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