OSHA Implements New Worker Injury Record-Keeping Rules

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in negligence

According to statistics from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are over three million people who are injured on the job each year in this country. Approximately 200,000 of those victims are from Illinois. Of these, about 50,000 such injuries result in some kind of claim seeking compensation.

In countless safety studies and analyses, one common finding is that if there was a better reporting system in place, many of these worker accidents could be avoided. These indications have prompted OSHA to implement new record-keeping requirements for employers, although there are a number of low-hazard industries which will be exempt from the new rules.

New Requirements

These new regulations require that any employer with 10 or more employees will be required keep a record of serious work-related injuries and illnesses. An injury that only requires first aid treatment will not need to be reported. Under OSHA guidelines, the following injures meet the requirement:

• All job-related injuries which require any medical treatment other than first aid;
• All job-related injuries in which the victim loses consciousness, loses days from work, is placed on restricted work, or is transferred to another position;
• All diagnosed cases of cancer, chronic irreversible diseases, fractured or broken bones or teeth, or punctured eardrums which are deemed to be job-related. There is a separate recording for any job-related injuries or illness caused by hearing loss, medical removal, needle sticks or sharp injuries, or tuberculosis; and
• All job-related fatalities.

If a worker is injured and requires hospitalization, loses an eye, suffers an amputation, or is killed in a job-related accident, the employer is required to report this information within eight hours of the incident. The new rule also prohibits employers from trying to discourage employees from reporting any injuries or illnesses which may be job-related.

Record Management Guidelines

These records must be kept at the job location for a minimum of five years. Each year, companies will be required to post a summary of all injuries and illnesses recorded during the prior year. Employers will also be required to supply any copies of these records to an employee – either current or former – or their representatives, if requested. Beginning January 1, 2017, employers will be required to electronically submit these records to OSHA.

Additional Details

Other provisions, which go into effect August 10, 2016, include:

• Employers will be required to inform all workers of their right to report any job-related illness or injury and do so will with no threat of retaliation;
• Provides clarification to employers regarding any existing work-related reporting procedure the employer has in place that the procedure must be a reasonable one and not discourage an injured employee from reporting; and
• Incorporates existing prohibition statutes into the new rule.

If you have been injured in a job-related accident, contact an experienced Orland Park workplace accident attorney to discuss your options for securing compensation. Call 708-966-2408 for your free initial consultation.

Sources:

https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/

https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/ppt1/RK1exempttable.html