OSHA Steps up Record-keeping Reviews

Following recommendations from the congressional Government Accountability Office, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration recently launched a national record-keeping probe. It will subject industries with high illness and injury incidence rates to increased scrutiny. OSHA will also randomly select some low-risk workplaces for review.

The program seeks to reduce the time between illness and injury recording and subsequent auditing. It also mandates interviews with employees, updates the list of high-hazard industries, and increases education and training on record-keeping requirements.

Code section 1904.7(a) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires employers to log illnesses and injuries that result in "death, days away from work, restricted work transfer to another job, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness." Even if not meeting these criteria, illnesses and injuries must be recorded if a physician or other licensed healthcare practitioner diagnoses a significant injury or illness. Employers may choose the physician who evaluates the event and suggests treatments and work restrictions.

Data collected through this initiative will be used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inspectors, employers implementing safety and health programs, epidemiologists tracking trends, and regulators and policymakers.

To learn more, call Saint Francis Medical Center's Services to Business at 573-331-5825.