Updated OSHA regulations could lead to increased enforcement

October 29th, 2014 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

The announcement of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's changes to workplace incident reporting rules indicated a change in the types of accidents about which the organization needs to be notified. The practical changes that businesses and EHS managers in particular will have to make have been addressed at length, both by OSHA itself and various media organizations. The secondary effects of the safety compliance rule changes, from OSHA's desire to create more discussions about employee safety to the potential for increased inspections, haven't gotten as much attention. The change in reporting standards could also be a sign of a different approach by the regulatory agency, although it's too soon to tell exactly which track OSHA will take.

First announced in September 2014, the updates to reporting requirements increase the number and type of workplace incidents that have to be reported. The new regulations, which go into effect at the start of 2015, include provisions for both faster reporting and for additional incidents, such as individual hospitalizations and amputations. OSHA itself said in the official announcement of the new final rule that part of the aim of the new regulations is to increase access to information about injuries and accidents, not only for the organization but for employees, businesses and the general public as well.

Discussions and enforcement
Safety and Health Magazine suggested that one of the reasons increased access to accident information was prioritized in OSHA's final rule was to increase discussions about safety and, through increased awareness, develop better safety standards. The agency plans to provide increased resources to companies after an accident has occurred, helping them to avoid similar situations in the future. A new health and safety achievement recognition program will also help to provide positive reinforcement to businesses.

There is also a potential for negative reinforcement through enhanced data collection to find high-risk occupations and businesses. The new ruling broadens the data OSHA will collect, and the organization plans to put this information to use. This could lead to enhanced enforcement and increased inspections in some industries, as well as OSHA more acutely targeting specific companies and positions based on the results of data analysis. The use of the increased flow of information for workplace health and safety research is another aspect of the heightened reporting requirements, although the application of data in that respect hasn't yet been elaborated upon.