OSHA alert: Injury reporting records take on increased importance and upcoming deadlines

Form 300A posting deadline February 1, 2019

Electronic rule making update

Form 300A electronic submission deadline: March 2, 2019

How the data is being used: Site-Specific Targeting Initiative

This month, all employers required to keep Form 300, the Injury and Illness Log, should be reviewing the Log to verify that entries are complete and accurate and correcting any deficiencies. Two important dates are approaching. The annual summary of injuries and illnesses recorded on OSHA Form 300A, Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, must be posted where notices are customarily located in workplaces, no later than February 1, 2019 and kept in place until April 30.

Under the electronic record-keeping rule, certain employers must submit the form electronically to OSHA by March 2, 2019. And there is now an inspection targeting plan based on the data submitted under this rule, subjecting employers to further scrutiny of their injury and illness rates. Given the potential impact for inspections, employers should carefully ensure they submit accurate records. They should also proactively monitor and address patterns in their injury and illness rates to lower recordable injuries.

Form 300A posting deadline February 1, 2019

When an accident occurs, an employer must document a recordable injury or illness on the OSHA Form 300 log within seven days. Employers should pay careful attention to their logs and the work relatedness of safety incidents, particularly in light of the electronic submission rule. Some employers tend to focus on medical treatment or days away from work, rather than beginning with – was this work-related? The OSHA Regulation 29 C.F.R. §1904.7  https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.7 contains an in-depth overview of recordable injuries and illnesses. Additional information on determining medical treatment and first aid can be located at 29 C.F.R. §1904.7(b)(5). https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/firstaid_list.pdf

Standard interpretations on recordkeeping issued in 2018 include:

• Prescription medications, such as an Epi-Pen considered medical treatment beyond first-aid. – [1904.7] https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2018-09-13
• Clarification on the use of a cold therapy only setting on a therapeutic device is first-aid – [1904.7(b)(5)(ii)]  https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2018-08-09

A Form 300 log is required for each physical establishment location that is expected to be in operation for at least one year. Form 300A summarizes the total number of fatalities, missed workdays, job transfers or restrictions, and injuries and illnesses as recorded on Form 300. Even if there were no recordable incidents in 2018, companies required to maintain records still must post the summary with zeros on the total lines. Copies should be made available to any employee who might not see the summary (such as a remote employee who works from home).

A company executive, as defined by OSHA, must certify the summary. Employers must keep the records for five years following the calendar year covered by them, and if the employer sells the business, he or she must transfer the records to the new owner.

Electronic rule-making update

Last month, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied the Trump administration’s motion to dismiss litigation challenging OSHA’s decision to suspend parts of its electronic record-keeping rule. Initiated by three public health advocacy groups, Public Citizen Health Research Group, the American Public Health Association and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, the lawsuit argued that OSHA’s action was not simply an exercise of enforcement discretion, but rather a complete suspension of a regulatory deadline subject to review.

However, importantly, the federal court also denied a preliminary injunction barring OSHA from implementing its planned delay, noting the advocacy groups had not demonstrated that they will suffer irreparable harm absent preliminary injunctive relief. Also, the court decision was not on the merits of the case, but rather on whether the group had standing to sue or the case should be dismissed as OSHA argued.

Originally, as part of its electronic recordkeeping rule, OSHA mandated that certain employers submit 2017 data from Forms 300, 300A and 301. However, on July 30, 2018 a proposed rule officially eliminated the Forms 300 and 301 data submission requirements. While the Fall 2018 Regulatory agenda had predicted that the proposed regulation would go over to OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) on time for the standard to be issued in June 2019, the final draft was submitted earlier than expected on December 7, 2018.

But for many employers this proposed rule does not go far enough. Since it does not rescind the agency’s plan to publish employer information, they argue it puts employers at risk for improper disclosure and release of sensitive employer information. Nor does it formally repeal the provisions regarding post-incident drug testing or incentive programs, although an October 2018 memorandum was issued to clarify these provisions. And the anti-retaliation provisions are unchanged.

Form 300A electronic submission deadline: March 2, 2019

Establishments with 250 or more employees that are currently required to keep injury and illness records under the Recordkeeping Standard, as well as establishments with 20-249 employees that are also covered by the Recordkeeping Standard and operating in certain industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/NAICScodesforelectronicsubmission.html  are now required to submit their calendar year Form 300A electronically by March 2, 2019.

How the data is being used: Site-Specific Targeting Initiative

On Oct. 16, 2018, OSHA launched a “site-specific targeting” plan, SST-16, that uses employer-submitted data from 2016 to select non-construction worksites for inspections. The SST-16 directs that “OSHA will create inspection lists of establishments with elevated Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate, together with a random sample of establishments that did not provide the required 2016 Form 300A data to OSHA.” The employers are chosen using software that randomly selects the establishments.

Although establishments with elevated DART rates and those that did not submit the required data are the primary targets, establishments with lower DART rates can also be inspected. A random sample of low injury rate establishments on the inspection list will be selected to verify data accuracy.

While OSHA inspections are generally unwelcome, SST inspections are particularly onerous. They are unannounced, comprehensive, and can take significant time and resources. They are not limited to recordkeeping practices, potentially hazardous areas, or operations with an elevated DART rate, and often result in substantial citations. Employers that failed to comply with the electronic reporting requirements for 2016 or reported a high elevated DART rate (compared to industry average rates) would be wise to begin preparing for an inspection.

Despite the expectation that the Trump Administration would significantly lessen the burden of data submission requirements on employers, much of it appears here to stay, at least for a while. There have been fewer shifts in OSHA enforcement and rulemaking than expected by experts, who point to the leadership void at the agency. While Scott Mugno’s nomination was sent to the Senate on Nov. 1, 2017, it has been stalled and OSHA still does not have a Senate-approved Assistant Secretary—the longest ever vacancy.