David A. Kolman, editor, Fleet Maintenance

Kolman’s Komments: A nudge from OSHA

Aug. 15, 2016
OSHA issues new rule to improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a new rule that requires certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness data that they are already required to record on their onsite OSHA Injury and Illness forms.

Analysis of this data will enable OSHA to use its enforcement and compliance assistance resources more efficiently. Some of the data will also be posted to the OSHA website.

OSHA believes that public disclosure will encourage employers to improve workplace safety and provide valuable information to workers, job seekers, customers, researchers and the general public. The amount of data submitted will vary depending on the size of company and type of industry.

The new reporting requirements take effect Jan. 1, 2017. They will be phased in over two years.

Behavioral economics

OSHA says the simple change in its rulemaking requirements, which is intended to improve safety for workers across the country, “stems from our understanding of human behavior and motivation. Behavioral economics tells us that making injury information publicly available will ‘nudge’ employers to focus on safety.

“As we have seen in many examples, more attention to safety will save the lives and limbs of many workers, and will ultimately help the employer’s bottom line as well. Finally, this regulation will improve the accuracy of this data by ensuring that workers will not fear retaliation for reporting injuries or illnesses.”

The rule also:

- Prohibits employers from discouraging workers from reporting an injury or illness.

- Requires employers to inform employees of their right to report work-related injuries and illnesses free from retaliation.

- Clarifies the existing implicit requirement that an employer’s procedure for reporting work-related injuries and illnesses must be reasonable and not deter or discourage employees from reporting.

- Incorporates the existing statutory prohibition on retaliating against employees for reporting work-related injuries or illnesses.

For more information, plus the compliance schedule, visit www.osha.gov/recordkeeping.  

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