Failure to Submit Injury and Illness Records to OSHA
More than 200,000 employers failed to electronically submit their injury and illness data under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s new recordkeeping rule. The deadline came and went on Dec. 31, 2017. By New Year’s Day, the submission page was closed.
OSHA had anticipated that 350,000 workplaces would submit their data, but only received submissions from 153,653 employers, including 61,000 that were not actually required to do so. The required data included an employer’s 300A, 300 Log, and 301 injury report forms.
(Related Article: Final Deadline for OSHA ITA Injury and Illness Records Set)
In most cases, employers thought their work sites were too small to be required to comply. However, size restrictions are only going into effect for upcoming submissions. Only establishments with 250 or more employees, as well as those between 20 and 249 workers in a high-risk industry, must submit their 2017 calendar year summaries by July 1, 2018.
Some workplaces may have held off on reporting because they thought the deadline would be pushed back again, or they did not want their data to be published online, as the initial rule stated.
What are the Repercussions?
OSHA is no longer accepting any form 300 logs or 301 forms for the time being. So, employers are not able to provide late submissions. Compliance officers began looking into these missed submissions in February. If they learn about an employer’s failure to file, OSHA will issue an other-than-serious citation, which carries a maximum penalty of $12,934.
OSHA has until June 15, 2018 to issue these citations. The agency will also be mass-mailing employers who failed to submit their forms to inform them of other penalties and obligations under the regulation. OSHA intends to use the data from these forms to target their inspections to work sites with higher injury and illness numbers.
Stay up-to-date on OSHA updates and electronic filing requirements with Worksite Medical. We’re dedicated to helping you stay in compliance. Our specialty is medical surveillance testing and occupational medicine. With a fleet of mobile medical units, we can come to you to test your employees and help keep you in compliance. Give us a call at 1-844-OCCUMED, or visit us online to learn more about our services and schedule an appointment.
