OSHA Defense
OSHA Record Keeping and Reporting Requirements
To meet OSHA’s operational standards, a primary requirement is properly recording, reporting, and annually posting injuries and illnesses as mandated by the agency. In an effort to help your organization understand these policies, our St. Petersburg construction attorneys have outlined the required injury and illness forms, along with updates that went into effect as of January 01, 2015.
OSHA Form 300
OSHA Form 300 is a required log of work-related incidences. This form is meant to classify different types of workplace injuries and illnesses, along with details about the severity of the incident. An entry into the log would include, for example, the date of the incident, the employee’s name, where the event occurred, a description of the injury or illness, and the classification of either the injury or illness type such as skin disorder or respiratory condition.
OSHA Form 300A
Form 300A is a summary of work-related injury and illnesses for an entire year based off of Form 300. Summaries are compiled annually and posted to the job site. Currently, 2014 injury summaries are required to be posted between February 01 – April 30, 2015.
It is also important to note that even if no work-related injuries or illnesses happened Form 300A is still required if your business falls within covered industries. The summary includes: total number of deaths, total number of cases with days out of work, total number of cases with job transfer or restriction, and total number of injuries.
Some low-hazard industries and employers with 10 or less employees are exempt from this requirement.
OSHA Form 301
OSHA Form 301 is the injury and illness incident report. This form goes more in-depth about an individual incidence. This form identifies how and why an injury or illness occurred. You are required to complete this form or an equivalent within seven days of being notified of a work-related injury or illness.
Equivalent forms include Workers’ Compensation forms, insurance forms, and company produced incident reports, as long as the required information is present.
Updates to OSHA Recordkeeping & Reporting
As of January 01, 2015, some industries that were previously exempt from posting Form 300A to the jobsite are now required to do so. The complete list can be found here, but construction related industries include building material and supplies dealers, commercial and industrial machinery and equipment rental and leasing.
Reporting changes have also gone into effect. Now, all work related fatalities must be reported within 8 hours and all work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and loss of an eye must be reported to the closest OSHA Area Office within 24 hours.
As St. Petersburg construction attorneys, we know dealing with serious workplace accidents and injuries can be incredibly stressful. Our team is available to help ensure recording and reporting requirements are done as required by OSHA to avoid harsh penalties and citations that could have a negative effect on your business.
To speak with an attorney from Cotney Attorneys & Consultants please call us today.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.