On January 6, OSHA announced that it will extend the comment period on its proposed rule to require electronic submission of injury and illness information from certain employers. Originally set for February 6, interested parties now have until March 8, 2014, to submit comments and feedback on the proposed rule.
OSHA says the change was prompted by a request from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The NAHB requested the deadline extension because the comment period for the proposed injury and illness recordkeeping revision overlapped with the comment period for OSHA’s proposal to reduce the permissible exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica. Because both proposals affect the construction industry, the NAHB requested more time to prepare its comments.
OSHA’s proposal would require large employers (those with more than 250 employees) who are already required to keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses to electronically submit the OSHA Form 300 (Injury and Illness Log) and the OSHA Form 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report) on a quarterly basis. These employers would also be required to submit the OSHA Form 300A (Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) annually. Certain smaller employers in high-hazard industries would also be required to annually submit the OSHA Form 300A, but would not be required to submit the OSHA Form 300 or Form 301.
OSHA plans to publish some of this data online, stripped of any personally identifying characteristics. The agency believes that the change will allow it to more effectively target its enforcement and compliance assistance resources to those companies and industries most in need of it and will help keep companies accountable for their safety performance by making safety data available to the public.