OSHA’s recent proposal would make it a requirement of all employers of more than 250 employees, and employers of more than 20 employees in specific industries which have been identified as having high injury and illness rates, to electronically file illness and injury reports online. These reports will be stripped of any personal information and then made available to the public.

OSHA claims this will create more transparency in workplace injury, while also providing easier access to information for the public. Currently, the OSHA website lists raw data about workplace injury, but does not specifically breakdown what the injury was or how the injury happened. The new proposal would allow the public to break down what types of injuries are most common in various industries, and thus could help to limit common injuries in certain industries.

Whatever your opinion on these new changes, they fall in line with President Barak Obama’s initiative to increase access to government data, and as such are likely to gain traction. And if they do, it could mean big changes are coming for over 475,000 companies. If you think your company could be one of those affected by the changes, it is important to contact a professional safety and OSHA consulting firm for more details.

If you are nervous about the new proposal and how it might affect your business, please contact us so that we can advise you. If you have anything to add about the new OSHA proposal regarding injury and illness reporting, please leave a comment.