OSHA Proposes Revisions To Recordkeeping And Reporting Rule

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed an update and revision of two aspects of the agency's recordkeeping and reporting requirements for work-related injuries and illnesses. The new proposed reporting requirements revised OSHA's current regulation that requires an employer to report to OSHA, within eight hours, all work-related fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations of three or more employees. Under the revised proposal, employers would be required to report to OSHA any work-related fatalities and all in-patient hospitalizations within eight hours, and work-related amputations within 24 hours. Reporting amputations is not required under the current regulation.

OSHA is also proposing to update Appendix A of the recordkeeping rule (Part 1904 Subpart B) that lists industries partially exempt from the requirements to maintain work-related injury or illness logs. These industries received partial exemption because of their relatively low injury and illness rates. The current list of industries is based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) was introduced in 1997 to replace the SIC system for classifying establishments by industry. When OSHA issued the recordkeeping rule in 2001, the agency used the old SIC code system because injury and illness data were not yet available based on the NAICS. OSHA is also updating Appendix A in response to a 2009 GAO report recommending that the agency update the coverage of the relevant recordkeeping requirements from the old SIC system to the newer NAICS.

OSHA is requesting public comments on the proposed revisions. Comments must be submitted by Sept. 20, 2011.

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