OSHA 2015 Regulatory Changes: Will You Be Ready?

2015 Update to OSHA’s Record Keeping Rule

OSHA reporting may be an unpleasant reality of the workplace, but it is necessary to help improve the safety and working conditions of all workers, and compliance with the health and safety body means keeping in line with the law.

On January 1^st 2015, new OSHA record keeping requirements with regard to injury and illness will go into effect. The two crucial changes that are being made apply to employee injuries sustained while on the job—in reports directly to OSHA, and also to the internal record keeping of these injuries.

Employers may also expect a more aggressive approach to workplace inspections as well. The first rule extends the list of severe injuries that must be reported to OSHA.

Injury Reporting Requirements

Starting on the 1^st of next year, you must submit reports to OSHA on,

• All work-related inpatient hospitalizations (as opposed to the current rule of 3 employees admitted), amputations, and losses of eye within a 24 hours.
• All work-related fatalities within 8 hours.

Reports to OSHA can be made by,

• A call to OSHA’s toll-free number at 1 (800)-321-OHSA (6742),
• Calling your local OSHA area office, or
• Using the online form that will be made available by January.

An inpatient hospitalization, under this new revision, only pertains to injuries, and not diagnostics, testing, or observation.

Record Keeping: Exemptions and Newly-Added Industries

The second major change covers internal record keeping. There are new exemptions for keeping the OSHA 300 Log of employee injury and illness; new industries will become exempt, while some currently-exempt industries will have to begin recording these incidents.

The newly-added industries which are now exempt but will not continue to be in 2015 include,

• Automotive dealerships,
• Museums and historical sites,
• Building supplies dealers,
• Specialty food stores, and
• Beer, wine, and liquor stores,

The full new list of the establishment types that will no longer be exempt from log-keeping can be found with their corresponding NAICS code here.

The two types of employers that will continue to be exempt are,

• Employers with 10 or fewer employees during the previous calendar year, and
• Establishments meeting specific low-hazard industry standards, including,
  • retail trade,
  • finance,
  • insurance and real estate,
  • the service industry (some exceptions may apply).

The full list of new industries that will become partially exempt (and therefore no longer be required to keep records) on January 1st, 2015 can be found here.

To find out directly whether your company meets the new criteria for exemption or not, OSHA recommends,

• Finding your NAICS code by using the search function at the S. Census Bureau NAICS main webpage.
• Then select the two-digit sector code and choose a six-digit code to read its definition.
• Use an old SIC code to find your NAICS code by using the conversion table found on S. Census Bureau Concordances page.
• Or you may contact your local OSHA office or corresponding state agency for assistance.

Related Article: 3 Changes to OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard You Need to Know About

If you would like more information on OSHA requirements, workplace safety tips or guides, call Hazardous Waste Experts at (800) 936-2311 or click here to email us.

Photo credit: Greg Younger via compfight