Since its inception in 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Washington, D.C., has required employers to record occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. According to an article in the December 2001/January 2002 edition of The Subcontractor written by Joe O’Connor, safety consultant for the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), the procedures OSHA has used for the past 31 years changed on January 1.
For 1.4 million employers covered by OSHA's new record keeping rule, Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1904—Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, makes it easier to maintain records by computer. The rule’s change to counting days away from work make management by computer a simple task: All days, including weekends, are included in the calculation, and the maximum days recorded ends at 180 days. The new system also makes it possible to keep records at a central location.
"The new record keeping system is easier for employers to understand, better protects employee privacy in sensitive cases and will yield more accurate injury and illness data," said OSHA Administrator John L. Henshaw. "The new OSHA forms are smaller; they fit on legal size paper. We've also clarified and simplified the instructions for filling out the forms."
OSHA mailed forms to employers likely to be covered by the rule in December. To help them make the transition to the new system, new record keeping forms, training materials, fact sheets and other assistance are available on OSHA's Web site at www.osha-slc.gov/recordkeeping/index.html.
In response to these new requirements, Intec recently published the “Record keeping Module” (Item #4555RK), which updates its CompliancePlus software (Item #4555) but also serves as a stand-along application. The module offers recording and reporting capabilities consistent with the new requirements. New databases accommodate the changes to the criteria for work relationship, determination of first aid versus a recordable case, the counting of days away from work and job transfer, and all of the new reports (300, 300A, and 301).
The cost of the stand-alone application is $79 for ASA members and $99 for nonmembers. To order, call Intec at (800) 745-4818.