Changes to Tracking Workplace Injuries & Illnesses

[UPDATED]The Injury Tracking Application (ITA) will be accessible from this page on August 1, 2017, where you will be able to provide the Agency your 2016 OSHA Form 300A information. OSHA also published a notice of proposed rulemaking to extend the date by which certain employers are required to submit the information from their completed 2016 Form 300A electronically from July 1, 2017 to December 1, 2017.

The Occupational Health & Safety Administration has issued a final rule that will affect the way companies record injuries and illnesses. Currently, many companies are required to fill out OSHA Form 300, Form 300A & Form 301. However, OSHA will soon require that companies submit their OSHA Forms electronically. If your company utilizes any contractor management database such as ISNetworld, PICS or Browze, you are probably used to submitting copies of these forms to abide by client requirements.

OSHA plans to collect and publish the data, which would allow companies to benchmark their numbers with other similar companies in their industry.  Currently, companies can only benchmark against the industry as a whole, which is not indicative of company size or service and product specialties.  OSHA does note that before the data is published to the public database, all Personally Identifiable Information will be removed.  The data will also be published for certain companies depending on size and industry.

This rule requires companies with over 250 employees to electronically submit OSHA Form 300-Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, Form 300A-Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, and Form 301-Inury and Illness Incident Report. Also, companies in certain industries with 20 to 249 employees will electronically submit OSHA Form 300A.

Key Dates:

  • January 1, 2017 – The New Reporting Rule is In Effect
  • [UPDATED] August 1, 2017 – December 1, 2017 – Companies with 250+ employees must electronically submit Form 300A. Certain companies with 20-249 employees must electronically submit Form 300A.
  • July 1, 2018 – Companies with 250+ employees must electronically submit Form 300A, 300 & 301. Certain companies with 20-249 employees must electronically submit Form 300A.
  • March 2, 2019 – Forms must be submitted by March 2 instead of July 1.

What does SRP think? First, this new rule will ensure that companies are reporting accurate injuries and illnesses. Companies already have to manually fill out these forms, it won’t take much  more effort to submit the forms online. Plus, this rule will enable SRP to benchmark clients and similar companies. This is a great tool to see how clients rank with overall safety, and help establish clear goals and strategies.  We agree with OSHA on this new rule.