Mar 08, 2023

Know Your Employee Injury Responsibilities

Depending on what kind of business you run, you may have to keep some detailed records for OSHA about employee injuries. Read on for an introduction to the requirements and OSHA's important Form 300A—whose deadline looms.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration takes employee injuries very seriously and requires companies to submit injury data. The requirements are complex, and you may want to work with experts in this field, depending on the kind of business you run.

In brief, according to OSHA, many employers with more than 10 employees are required to keep a record of serious work-related injuries and illnesses. It has to be a fairly significant injury though; there's no need to write it down when someone needs a band aid for a papercut, for example. Also, certain low-risk industries are exempted, although even these must report accidents that require hospitalization, for example. It's wise to review the rules in full.

Know your forms

OSHA has provided a complete injury-tracking website, with forms and additional information. It explains that businesses should use the "Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses" (Form 300) to classify work-related injuries and illnesses and to note the extent and severity of each case. When an incident occurs, businesses use the Log to record specific details about what happened and how it happened.

Next comes the "Summary" (Form 300A), which shows the totals for the year in each category. At the end of the year, affected businesses must post the Summary in a visible location so that employees are aware of the injuries and illnesses occurring in their workplace. Businesses must post the Summary by February 1 of the year following the year covered by the form and keep it posted until April 30 of that year.

Keep detailed records

Affected businesses will find it much easier to fill out this form if they keep careful records throughout the year. For example, Form 300A requires employers to track:

• Total number of cases with days away from work.
• Total number of cases with job transfer or restriction.
• Total number of other recordable cases.

In addition, the employer must classify the injuries and illnesses by the following categories:

• Injuries.
• Skin disorders.
• Respiratory conditions.
• Poisonings.
• Hearing loss.
• All other illnesses.

Let us know if you want help in figuring out what your responsibilities are, and how to meet them.

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