Proposed OSHA reporting requirements would make info electronic and public

November 12th, 2013 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

The U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration recently proposed a new rule that would require employers to electronically report workplace illness and injury information that would later be made available to the public, The Associated Press reported.

The proposed rule has the potential to impact about 38,000 companies, as the plan would have employers with a payroll of more than 250 employees turn in data electronically each quarter. Companies in sectors that have high incidents of injury and illness and have 20 or more workers will be required to submit a summary report once per year. OSHA said about 440,000 companies are in this category.

After companies provide this data, it will also be posted online. This decision to make occupational illness and injury data available is part of President Barack Obama's initiative to boost public access to government information.

Firms argue new rule could affect reputations
Industry leaders are saying the change could result in misjudgments about businesses after seeing the raw data, according to EHS Today. Some organizations argue the public statistics could result in a damaged public image.

"It's about reputation," Matt Lavoie, senior director of media relations for the National Association of Manufacturers, told EHS Today. "Reputation is currency for a company and it truly does matter and you can't get an accurate picture from some numbers on a page."

Some business leaders also say the data could expose sensitive information about a company. While OSHA plans to post the data online for public consumption, the data will have personal identifiable information deleted.

Electronic reporting guidelines to improve worker safety
While some businesses may oppose this proposed rule, labor experts say requirements will cause little added burden and help make workplaces safer. Some industries have already been making headway in making occupational data public, including the mining industry, which has been posting its data online for years.

The change in OSHA reporting requirements comes after it was revealed almost 3 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were recorded in 2012, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The report said the incident rate for 2012 amounted to 3.4 cases per 100 full-time workers in the private sector.

"Three million injuries are three million too many," Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health David Michaels said in a statement. "With the changes being proposed in this rule, employers, employees, the government and researchers will have better access to data that will encourage earlier abatement of hazards and result in improved programs to reduce workplace hazards and prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities."

Michaels said having workplace illness and injury data open for public evaluation could push employees toward improving risk identification and management. The data will also allow OSHA to target inspections based on companies with high incident rates of illness or injury. Interested parties who wish to give their feedback on the OSHA reporting change can submit written comments on the proposal until Feb. 6, 2014.

Electronic reporting is becoming the norm
While some businesses believe OSHA's proposed change to its reporting requirements will impact their reputation, it's likely that the trend toward increased transparency and improved public access to EHS performance and regulatory compliance information will continue. Businesses that are serious about enhancing the safety of their workplace operations should now, more than ever, consider software solutions for capturing and reporting on injuries and illnesses. EHS software solutions not only aid with current and future reporting requirements but also allow companies to gain additional insights from safety metrics and provide accountability for corrective actions. To take full advantage of these additional benefits, companies should consider established software providers.